Josh Freeman was named the starter for Minnesota's road contest against the winless New York Giants on Monday night, which comes less than two weeks after he signed with the club. I've always been a beleiver in Josh Freeman and with Adrian Peterson helping him out rushing the ball, I like the Vikings chances with their defense versus the Giants struggling offensive line issues. Freeman will be Minnesota's third starter in four games. Christian Ponder started the first three before suffering a rib injury, and Matt Cassel was under center for the last two. Frazier said Ponder will serve as Freeman's backup Monday.
The Giants and Eli Manning have been awful this year. He's thrown a league-worst 15 interceptions to match his total from all of last season, and his 64.0 passer rating is third-worst in the NFL. Though Manning will be facing a Minnesota defense that ranks 29th against the pass allowing an average of 308.0 yards, the Giants have committed a league-high 23 turnovers and have lost 11 of their last 14 games after missing last year's playoffs despite a 6-2 start. I think the Vikes hold the Giants winless and steal a win on the road on MNF.
5*

The Texans got pounded last week at home and there season is on the line Sunday. I'm backing the Houston Texans plus the 6 pts. This is a MUST WIN for the Texas as they sit a T 2-4 right now. Houston's QB Matt Schaub is a GTD and their backup is TJ Yates, So far Houston is 0-6 ATS in 2013 The Chiefs got a bunch of turnovers late last week versus Oakland as the game was tied late into the 4th quarter. Smith has only tossed 7 TD passes and is very conservative.
The Chiefs won 24-7 over the Raiders, but that score was a bit misleading and actually when you look back at a lot of the Chiefs game this year the results have been misleading, but it gives us great value on the Chiefs opponent again this week. The Chiefs weakness is the Texans strength. Texans can still run the ball and with a rookie QB in there this week that's what they will get back to in what will be a gritty win. Case Keenum can sling it, but he's going to be asked to win with a simple game plan with running and play action and that will get good results vs. the Chiefs as they are ranked 30th in rushing yards per carry. The Houston Texans may not win this game but I expect a FULL EFFORT and I'll gladly take the 7 points with the underdog here.
10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

This is the second meeting of the season between the Patriots and Jets with New England winning the first game by a score of 13-10. Not a whole lot can be taken from that game as it was just the second game of the season and was played in horrible conditions. I like the Jets at home as underdogs and Geno Smith has improved immensely since that first meeting and the Patriots defense continues to get banged up and will be without three key starters here. The fall into a great situation as we play on home underdogs that are coming off a loss that average more yards per pass attempt than their opponent does which is coming off a win. This situation is 32-13-2 ATS (71.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 5*

I like the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers plus the points. Tampa Bay, after their big mover of dumping of their QB Josh freeman, the Bucs are going in the direction of Mike Glennon, who throws a nice ball. Upstart Nick Foles lit up the Bucs for almost 300 yards last week but, Matt Ryan will struggle, though without any top notch healthy WRs, I see TB targeting TonyGonzalez as much as possible and keeping him in check and the Falcons offensive line has been terrible. . TB actually has a decent amount of talentand just have to get it together. Both games last year were very close and I expect another tight one on Sunday. Atlanta has certainly been the biggest disappointment of the NFL season by far in my opinion. Crawling in at a pitiful 1-4, where as they cannot stop anyone on defense at all. Giving up 27 a game, so look for another battle coming down to the final minutes. 5*

4*

4*

This is your typical sucker line. Temple is 0-6 and playing a team with 3 wins in Army. The public says, how can the winless team be favored? A closer look shows that Temple has played a very tough schedule including Notre Dame, Cincy and Louisville.
Army has been dismal on the road the last three years, covering just one of its last 12 games away from home. Temple has also owned Army beating them by an average of 21 ppg the last 5 meetings.
Temple limps into its homecoming weekend game winless at 0-6, but those losses came against the likes of Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Houston. First-year head coach Matt Rhule knows this is one of the few winnable games on the schedule, so he

Vanderbilt is hungry for its first win in SEC play. They lost to Georgia last year 48-3 so they are playing this game with an extra week to prepare after their BYE and also with some major revenge. The Commodores go up against a Georgia team that is without almost all of its top skill players, which is the biggest reason why the Bulldogs have failed to cover the spread in each of their last three games. The Bulldogs are really banged up for this one. This isn't the same Georgia team that nearly played in the BCS Championship last year, losing to Alabama by the narrowest of margins in the SEC Title game. Vandy is averaging 33.7 points and 425.0 yards per game.
10* Underdog Diamond in the Rough.

5*

The Seahawks are now done with a long stretch of games in which two of the last three games were tough on the road at Houston and at Indy but the home win against the Titans is just the spark they need heading into the desert on Thursday night. Arizona QB Carson Palmer is a serious competitor who has a knack for making plays and driving his team down field. Palmer was 25/41 passing with 298 yds, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs against the 49ers in a 32-20 loss at Candlestick Park. Palmer

The key to the Chargers on offense is simple, you have to protect for Rivers and give him time. The Colts defense is 30th versus the run this season (129 ypg), so if there ever was a game for underachieving Ryan Mathews to finally step up, this week in primetime is the week. San Diego won the last two meetings versus the Colts, which includes the, 23-17, overtime thriller in the 2009 AFC Divisional Playoffs. All told, the underdog has owned this series 7-0 ATS since 2004.
The Colts who ranked fourth in rushing will be without their main man- Ahmad Bradshaw and will use more of Trent Richardson. Rivers threw for over 400 yards for the third time in their loss to Oakland last Sunday and I expect another big game from him and the Chargers here on MNF.
5*

When Cleveland started 0-2, traded star RB Trent Richardson to the Colts and was forced to start 3rd-string QB Brian Hoyer in Week Three. GUess what- three weeks later they sit tied atop the AFC North at 3-2 after having been written off. The Browns defense is very good and their offense is starting to click. With a few extra days to prepare and rest after playing last Thursday I like them at home here over a banged up Lions team who has a few injuried WR's.
The Browns defense has held three opponents to season-low yards this campaign. On the flip side, the Lions have allowed more than 400 yards in each of their last three games, the last a 22-9 loss at Green Bay minus the services of star WR Calvin Johnson (Doubtful Sunday). As long as the Browns contain Reggie Bush I believe the Browns win this game. With NFL Thursday winners a commanding 27-9 SU and 24-11-1 ATS at home the next game against opponents off a loss, look for the DogPound to be barking and the Browns defense shutting down the Lions on Sunday.
10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

With the Jets off a surprising outright victory Monday Night & the Steelers still searching for their first win of the season, and off a bye, I'm going to take the points with Pittsburgh in this Week 6 matchup. Off a Bye - The Steelers are 7-1 straight up off the bye week under Mike Tomlin. Typically, they have been favored in these games, but because of the 0-4 start, we are able to take them plus a couple of points. I like it. The bye should allow the Steelers to refocus and get back on track both on offense and defense. With the division leader at 3-2, I win by the Steelers puts them at 1-4 and only 2 games back in the hunt. This is the first time ever under Tomlin they have not covered over a four-game span. Before losing in London to the Vikings two weeks ago, the team was 7-0 SU and 6-0-1 ATS off three straight ATS losses during Tomlin's tenure. I don't see the Jets playing well two weeks in a row. Lets play the STEELERS off their BYE week. 5*

I believe that Ole Miss could pull the upset in this one. A&M's defense is atrocious. So it is difficult for them to lay points on the road and still cover spread. Mississippi almost beat A&M last year in Oxford, losing by just three points. This is a better Ole Miss team and a worse A&M squad, and the Aggies aren't sneaking up on anyone any more. Mississippi has played three straight brutal road games, at Texas (win), at Alabama (loss) and at Auburn (loss). Miss is now at home with a 3-2 record and hungry for a National TV Win on Saturday night. Texas A&M has played a really weak schedule, and they haven't been all that impressive while going through it except for the points they put up on Alabama. They are ranked No. 9 in the country, but yet they are not even laying a touchdown on the road against a supposed middling team in the SEC? Everyone is going to throw their money behind Johnny Football. But I think that Ole Miss can win this game outright so I'll take the points and back Miss here. 10* Underdog Shocker Play

4*

This game will be a match-up of strength versus strength with Florida

The #1 ranked passing offense, The #2 ranked in rushing yards, The 1st in points scored per game and the 14th ranked in the nation defense to top it. We all have learned to love the Baylor Bears this year as they have taken Vegas every week this season going a perfect 4-0 against the spread. This weekends matchup will be the Bears first road game of the season as they head to Bill Snyder Stadium to go up against the Kansas State Wildcats. The Bears are beating their opponents this season by an average of 54 points per game and their offense is so powerful with a stingy defense to back it how could we expect any different of an outcome. Take the Bears as they win and win big on Saturday! 5*

I am playing the Houston Texans on Sunday evening plus the points. Houston is frantic to win this game, behind their up and down, erratic leader, Matt Schaub who has had a tough week. I look for him to be focused and his team to rally around him. They blew a 20-3 second half lead to a very good Seattle team. San Francisco is unexpectedly only sitting at 2-2, which is not making the franchise or most certainly Coach Jim Harbaugh happy. The main trouble for the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter of the season has been its incapability to get into rhythm on the offensive side of the ball. I think the Texans will shutdown Boldin, and control Kaepernick, and this to be a very tight game and we'll grab the points with the Houston Texans. 5*

The Cowboys come into this home tilt having averaged 32 ppg at home in their L/6 dating back to last season. Romo plays very good at home and this is only the Broncos 2nd road game this year. Look for Dallas to try and control the clock and get DeMarco Murray involves a lot on Sunday. Denver played a very soft schedule so far and coming off a 52 pt performance I think Dallas keeps this one close on Sunday afternoon. Tony Romo plays great at home and has only one 1 INT this year. And with Von Miller out two more games on a drug suspension, and linebacker Danny Trevathan being taken off the field at practice Wednesday with a knee injury, I expect the Dallas' offense to put up some big numbers against Broncos' dinged-up D. Trevathan, a second-year pro, is listed as questionable. And make note the Cowboys appear to be set on the offensive line with tackles Tyron Smith and Doug Free, guards Ron Leary and Brian Waters and rookie center Travis Frederick as they are providing Romo a ton of time to pass the ball. Dallas hasn't lost a home game by more than 7 points in over 2 years. I think this will be a high scoring game but I expect Dallas to keep it tight throughout the game and within a TD margin. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

I am really high on UW this year and I believe that they had the talent to possibly knock off either Stanford, Oregon or UCLA this season. The game is in Palo Alto and the Cardinal will surely be focused and looking to avenge last year

4*

Connor Cook has to bounce back for Michigan State at QB following his first road test at Notre Dame. I believe Cook will bounce back after a BYE with plenty of confidence and the arm to make any play on the field. In the bye week he worked a lot on his foot work and I think we will see it early against Iowa. Cook also has taken care of the ball without throwing an INT. Michigan State sports the better defense in this one and they are a bit more balanced where as Iowa is 9th in the country with a 66% run play call percentage. Michigan State is #2 allowing just 1.9 ypc. Iowa's success running the ball has set up 3rd and short, but against Michigan State they will have to throw the ball which is not going to be easy.
Jake Rudock is going to have a hard time completing anything the way Michigan State plays defense with press coverage and he already has 4 interceptions. Both defenses have played one quality offensive opponent this year, MSU played Notre Dame while Iowa played Northern Illinois. Michigan State completely dominated the line of scrimmage on the road against Michigan State while Iowa hosted Northern Illinois and allowed 438. What was also hidden in the Notre Dame game was how well this Michigan State offensive line played. Special teams is also an advantage for the Spartans as they feature an All-Big10 punter in Sadler who is great at pinning teams inside the 20. Michigan State has a dubious offense and a magnificent defense. Bet you did-n

The undefeated Maryland Terrapins travel to Tallahassee to face the undefeated, and #8th ranked Florida State Seminoles. Maryland has played a soft schedule playing UConn, a down WVU team and Flor INT. Maryland is 2-8 ATS last 10 at Florida State and just 2-21 SU vs the Seminoles. Florida State has a huge advantage in talent on both sides of the ball and on Special Teams. Maryland had the benefit of an easy schedule and being on ESPN, I look for FSU to run up the score here at home and they have to to move up in the rankings. 5*

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are quickly turning thing s a round under the guidanced of Bobby Petrino. The Hilltoppers started out their season by outplaying and outright dominating the University of Kentucky. It probably didn

Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins is used to flying under the radar as part of the much-ballyhooed NFL quarterback class of 2012 and rarely spoken of. He is out to change that on MNF.

Now he brings his unbeaten team into New Orleans for a prime-time showdown with Drew Brees and the undefeated Saints.

The Dolphins are a well-rounded team and the Saints still do not have a strong defense and Miami does.
Miami is 27-9 ATS in their last 36 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Look for this game to come down to the final minutes to be decided and we'll take the 7-7.5 points with Miami on MNF. 5*

4*

The Seattle Seahawks are the talk of the NFL having forced 10 turnovers have really helped them. However they are a different team on the road and now without 3 starting offensive lineman. The Houston Texans meanwhile are coming off 30-9 loss embarrassment in Baltimore last weekend and are 2-1 on the season. Arian Foster rushed only 12 times for 54 yards last week while Schaub finished 25 of 35 for 194 yards. Houston had 264 total yards after averaging 450.5 over its first two games. Houston still has the league's second-ranked defensive unit that allows an average of 249.0 yards per game. Where the Seahawks have had a field offensively at home the last two weeks I expect the team to struggle a little bit on the road in a tough place like Houston. The Seahawks scored just 12 points in the teams only other road game in Carolina. Look for the Texans at home to set an example and quiet the Seahawks here on Sunday.
KEY TREND= NFL teams that won at home the previous week as favorites of more than 18 points are 0-9 ATS the last 9 times.

I like the NY Giants with their top tier QB (Eli Manning) at the helm of the offense. After getting smashed 38-0 last time out, many bettors and prognosticators are jumping ship. I however, believe, that Tom Coughlins crew are too proud and too strong and will come out big on Sunday. Pros don't like to be embarrassed and I'm betting that will become evident this week, vs a over rated Kansas City team that has looked a little better than their true talent ratio, thanks to a +9 turnover ratio. Key Trend: NFL sides that were shutout in their last game, and are now playing as a road underdog have covered 64% of all games played since 1989. Play on the NY Giants plus the points on Sunday afternoon. 5*

Iowa is a team that that I am keeping my eye on in the Big Ten. Playing down in class against San Jose State

Georgia comes in with a heavy offense that can light up the scoreboards and they have one of the top 3 QBs in the NCAA in my opinion in Andy Murray and his 1040 YDs already. And if Georgia can win this gamet hey make noise to be genuine candidates to have their names in the hat as a National champion. Georgia has played much better opponents so far than LSU with wins over South Carolina and a narrowly fought loss to Clemson. Every game is a playoff game for 1-loss Georgia who is playing here with 42-10 revenge from 2 years ago.
LSU has been teeing it up an
Hitting some home runs on offense, but the 27, 17, 13 and 21 points allowed so far
By the Tigers is noticeably more than the 14, 3, 14 and 10 they allowed in the ?rst
Four games of last season.
LSU lost their SEC opener last season, 14-6, to a Florida
And that team couldn

I love Oklahoma State over West Virginia, giving the points as Okie St plays Oregon style offense and puts up points in a hurry. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been great hitting other teams

San Jose State is very solid while Utah St is coming off 3 tough games and could be looking ahead to rival BYU whom they play next week. MWC conference opener for these 2 teams, who both also employ new coaches this season. San Jose returns home off a road loss against a pretty good Minnesota team on the road playing an early 12 noon EST start.
The QB play is solid and they can generate pressure on the opposing QB. Even though it is a conference opener for the Aggies, there has to be a letdown coming off that tough road loss at USC where several players got banged up. San Jose has a ton of speed especially on offense and they are very deep at the WR position, Utah St's secondary isn't very good, nor is the kicking game. Take the generous points with the home underdog and San Jose St.
5*

The SF 49ers scored just one TD on 21 drives in last two games, with ten 3/outs, completing 26-55 passes in losses by 26-20 points- they

4*

4*

The Browns go with Brian Hoyer as their QB and this Browns team is under-rated especially on defense. They have yet to allow 300 yards under new mentor Rob Chudzinski and just traded star RB Trent Richardson for a No.1 pick in next year's draft. Look for a unified effort from players who suddenly realize they must produce or they'll be headed out. Cleveland's 6-1 ATS in their young franchise history away from home against winless teams off back-to-back losses. With a pair of winless teams, I'll take the 7-7.5 points with the Browns. 5*

4*

The Bengals should easily be sitting at 2-0 after they were up double digits on the road against the Bears and if they did close that game out late we would have a different spread here in my opinion. It also hurt the Bengals that they looked poor on Monday night and now the public is rushing behind the Packers after their huge win over the Redskins.
Andy Dalton, the young signal caller is managing the offense well and while the big plays will start coming often, there are playmakers to spread the ball to. A.J. Green is the obvious first choice and he leads the team with 15 catches and 203 yards with two scores. Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert are a formidable duo at tight end and should see some success as the Packers continue to struggle in covering the middle of the field. Giovani Bernard had a coming out party with two scores Monday Night and he rounds out what can be a top-notch offense but we will see what they can do when the pressure is on to put up a lot of points. Look for a big game out of A.J Green as he was quiet on MNF. GREEN BAY does not have a good offensive line and I expect the Bengals front to get after Aaron Rodgers. A.J. Green should have a huge game as the Packers lack a guy that can shut him down like the Steelers did.
10* NFL GAME OF THE MONTH

This is a perfect letdown spot for Akron as they let it all on the field last week and may have nothing left for this one. The ULL Ragin Cajuns started the year at 0-2, but those were games at an improved SEC squad in Arkansas and at a Kansas State squad that was embarrassed at home the week before by an FCS squad. Both teams have played an FCS foe this year and Louisiana had a far better time of it as the Ragin Cajuns beat Nicholls state 70-7 and outgained them by 315 yards, while the Zips beat James Madison by just 2 points and were outgained by 142 yards in the game. Last week was just a case of Michigan looking past this team after their huge win over Notre Dame. Last weeks game vs Michigan should also give Louisiana some motivation and they would lover to get a nice easy win over a team that nearly upset Michigan on the road. Louisiana is coming off a BYE week and will be full ready for this one and take care of business by double digits. 5*

Utah State is ranked 8th in the nation in scoring, 15th in passing, and also sits in the top 40 in rushing yards and has one of the top QB's in the nation no one has heard of. USC is young and their QB situation is not good. Yes, USC won last week, I don't like their coaching, their offense, and honestly, their overall demeanor. This team is bad and will probably struggle a lot this season. Utah State has enough fire power to trade punches with USC and keep this one within the number. Road underdogs with an incredible offense averaging 450 yards or more per game, provided they averaged 7.25 yards or more in their previous game, are 19-2 ATS the last 3 seasons. Utah State's high-powered offense has made them a covering machine. The Aggies are on a 13-2 ATS run dating back to the start of last season. USC is just 4-12 ATS during the same span. It is also worth mentioning that Utah State is on an 8-0 ATS run following a win by 21 or more points while USC is on a 0-7 ATS slide after a game where it outgained an opponent by 125 or more total yards. This is a PERFECT 15-0 situation in our favor and I like the underdog UTAH ST here +7. 10*

Notre Dame was in the BCS title game last season and they have only lost two games since opening kickoff last season. They have a very solid QB and are still pretty talented in key areas. Michigan State has played no one this season. They stand at 3-0, but they have beaten Western Michigan, Youngstown State, and South Florida. This will be their first test of the season when they head to South Bend. Without question the Notre Dame passing attack is dangerous, as we have seen throughout the early quarter of the season. Led by 4 year QB, Tommy Rees, who is lighting it up with 969 YDs passing in 3 games and 7 TDS, hitting 61% of his passes. With gold weapons like big target Davaris Daniels and his fiery 17.6 YPC, counting 2 games with 2+ TDs. Look for the Irish to win this one my double digits for our 10* COLLEGE GAME OF THE WEEK.

4*

KC is 2-0 but they played Jax who is awful and they hosted Dallas in their home stadium. Now they travel on the road in a short week and play a primetime game in a tough and loud stadium. Philly is 2nd in the NFL in rushing, 10th in passing, 5th in total defense, 2nd in total yards.. The problem with Philly is their defense. Alex Smith doesn't turn the ball over, but I expect the Philly defense to play aggressive and on the short week I like the Eagles at home as KC will struggle to stop the Philly offense and their spread sets. 5*

Cincinnati will be playing in their home opener, and I expect a lot more energy and more spark out of the Steelers defense, especially in primetime on ESPN. Dalton and the offense will have to get the run game established against a Steelers defense that really answered the bell last week against the Titans running game (Titans had 42 attempts, 2.6 ypc), so it will come down to Dalton throwing the ball to move the chains. Pittsburgh is on a pretty nice ATS run against the Bengals, going 5-1 ATS , and 11-1-1 ATS in their last 13 meetings. I expect Big Ben to play well and the Pittsburgh defense to force Andy Dalton into mistakes and interceptions. Bengals are 0-3-1 in last four tries as favorite in home opener.. Over last five years, Bengals are 14-21-3 vs spread in game following a loss; over last three years, Steelers are 11-4-1 vs spread in same role. In their last 13 meetings, the Bengals have only won by more than 6 points just once, so in this divisional matchup, we'll take the +7 points with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This is aTampa Bay team that got caught napping vs. The Jets. The Saints are 0-3 ATS in their L3 road openers and an emotional letdown is expected this week as they have been installed as a RF and nobody is giving the Bucs a chance in this game. The Saints embarrassed the Bucs 41-0 LY and I can promise you the TB players had this game circled. Freeman threw 4 picks that game and he is in a contract year so we are expecting this guy to perform to his full capability. I think TB will be able to rush the ball. Vincent Jackson had 216 rec yards in the 1st matchup between these two teams LY and he is off to a big start again. The scheduling and motivational dynamics favor Tampa Bay in this game and although I expect them to win this game SU, and I'll gladly take the 3 points and the home dog Buccaneers. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

Miami scored 23 points last week in a road win over Cleveland. They couldn't run the ball at all and new WR Mike Wallace was a non-factor. I like Miami's chances to run the ball today vs the Colts and I expect some deep passes to Wallace here on Sunday. Miami QB Ryan Tannehill played well last week and is very underrated. Look for Miami to pull the upset here this afternoon.
5*

4*

MSU QB Tyler Russell, who was knocked out of last week

UCF has outscored their opponents 76-7 and had 2 weeks to prepare for this game. Theywould be coming off back-to-back shutouts if not for allowing a garbage-time TD to Akron. Perhaps that presages a long evening for Christian Hackenberg as the UCF defense will be bringing it hard. UCF has a duel threat on offense with Johnson rushing the ball and Blake Bortles passing the ball. UCF head coach George O

4*

The Bruins are off a bye, so they have two weeks of preparation to help stop Nebraska

The Jets were at home last week and had it not been for a stupid personal foul penalty on the second last play of the game, New York would be 0-1 after a 17-15 loss to the Buccaneers.The start of the Geno Smith era went pretty well even if it did not have a lot to do with him. Facing one of the worst defenses from last year who were on the road would be a prescription for "as good as it gets" but pretty it was not. Kellen Winslow hung on to make the roster and then led the Jets with seven catches for 79 yards.
The Jets are getting way too much credit here for one lousy win in a game they deserved to lose. Had this game been scheduled for Week 1, the Patriots would

I think that this is very good value on an Eagles team who has had a ton of speed on this young team. The Redskins will be cautious with RGIII and I don't expect him to run much in this first game. Philadelphia is learning a new system, but Chip Kelly also hasn't shown anything in the pre-season. The Redskins don't even know what to prepare for with Vick and the Eagles. I think the home field wont matter much as this is a divisional game and I'll take the Eagles plus the 3.5 points on Monday night football.

5* Philadelphia Eagles +4

5*

I am expecting a big game from STL here at home on their turf with their speedy receivers and Sam Bradford. Bradford will show that he

Miami did not impress me at all this preseason and I an absolutely not on the bandwagon. I felt the Dolphins massively overachieved going 7-9 last season. The Dolphins got rid of their two best offensive players, Reggie Bush and Jake Long, and by getting rid of their best cornerback. I just don't know that Miami is a better team this season. But I am sure that Cleveland is a much better team. The Browns are excited to start a season with Norv Turner at the offensive helm as he will try to open up the field a bit more. This in turn should make RB Trent Richardson an even better running back, and the Browns defense is gonna be tough this year too. 5*

There's been a lot of early steam on the Longhorns and the move is right here on Saturday in college football. BYU can't stay with Texas' athletes and should have no problems covering the TD spread. The Cougars don't have enough offense to trade points with Texas either and are undersized.
Texas has outstanding athletes on offense and now has its best quarterback, David Ash, in the past four years. The Cougars aren't used to seeing an offense this good and Texas is 5X better than Virginia. The Longhorns win big here on Saturday evening!
10* GAME OF THE WEEK!

4*

The Florida offense returns 6 starters from a team that scored 26.5 ppg a year ago. QB Driskel plays pretty well in this system and he is only getting better. The defense for the Gators is the reason for this play. Florida allowed 14.5 ppg a year ago and despite just 4 returning starters we look for another big season from this stop unit. Florida held down a very good offense vs Toledo last week which is hard to do regardless of who the Rockets play. Toledo had gone 36 straight games without being held to single digits and they managed just 6 against the Gators last week.Look for the Gators to pull away in the 2nd half and get us the cash here. 10* College Game of the Week

WF has a pair of very good receivers and has a couple of extra days to prep off a Thur Night gm while BC is on a short week off a Sat game. The winner here takes a major step towards getting back to a bowl gm after missing one LY. In his career, BC QB Rettig has thrown for 6,538 yards and 37 touchdowns, and at 6-foot-3, he is able to stand in the pocket and make throws over the defensive line to his receivers. Rettig is 1-2 in his career against the Demon Deacons, and has struggled against their defense, throwing six interceptions. The Eagles are going to have their hands full with the pass-catching duo of Campanaro and Williams of Wake Forest. With his size, Boston College is going to have to have a safety over the top at all times. Not only is Williams big, but he also has a burst of speed that allows him to create separation from the cornerback. I like Wake catching 3 points here on Friday night on ESPN2. 5*

Playing this time at Husky Stadium following its $250 million redecorating job, Petersen expects to encounter a raucous, signal-extinguishing crowd of around 70,000 on Seattle's waterfront with 20 returning starters Big things were expected of UW triggerman Keith Price after he out-performed Robert Griffin III in the wild 2011 Alamo Bowl, but Price wasn

4*

Not many teams fielded a defense capable of dominating games the way the Cougar's did in 2012. Perhaps the most impressive display came in an epic battle with Boise State on September 20, that resulted in the Broncos winning 7-6 when BYU missed a 2-point conversion. The Cougars open the season on the road versus Virginia, and this isn't an easy matchup by any means. The Cavs though are coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign last year, and that has resulted in bringing in new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The defense should be solid with all four starters returning in the secondary, led by all-star candidate Demetrious Nicholson at cornerback. The passing game was the Achilles heel last season, and there is no reason to expect it to get any better this year. This is a nightmare matchup for Virginia, and it's unlikely they will get anything going offensively against this Cougar's defense. I love this BYU team and I see them winning here on Saturday. 10* Diamond in the ROugh

Both of these teams know how to put up points, with the Tar Heels finishing 8th in the FBS in scoring last season with 40.6 PPG, while the Gamecocks compiled 31.5 PPG despite playing in the toughest conference in the nation. Although UNC has big shoes to fill with RB Giovani Bernard gone, QB Bryn Renner returns along with his top two receivers from 2012. Now healthy, South Carolina QB Connor Shaw should be able to march his team down the field against a NC defense that struggled last season in a weak conference. On the other hand, the Gamecocks defense is one of the nation

In the SUPER BOWL I am going with the SF 49ers over BALTIMORE.

The Niners have been building this team for this very moment that fell apart late last year vs the NYG.

Don

5*

I am going to go against the public and everyone this weekend and go with the Falcons. I like the home team in this big game and getting 4.5 with the home underdog here. Atlanta faced a running QB last week and twice during the regular season against Cam Newton so they know how to stop it. I think that Atlanta is going to be able to move the ball against San Francisco's defense. The Falcons have an excellent passing game and it will be tough to keep them out of the end zone. Atlanta won eight of nine home games this year and the only loss was in Week 17 when the Falcons didn't have anything to play for. I think that they are good enough to win this game. Take the points.
10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Houston Texans are looking for revenge after they fell at New England on Monday night, Dec. 10, 42-14. The Texans didn't exploit the Patriots pass defense last time. Their defense is ranked 29th against the pass (271.4ypg). Expect the Texans to play the Patriots much tougher than they played them in the first game. They were embarrassed on national television by New England on December 10th and with the comments made in Boston newspapers earlier this week calling the Texans

Seattle is the team nobody really wants to face; now even on the road, they have been playing excellent defense in particular, causing 5 turnovers in their last 3 road games. Atlanta has been identified for their relatively easy schedule they have played this season. Now with the leagues most dangerous WRs going against those big corners, and tough secondary of Seattle, it will be a true test on both ends. The game will be won by the Seahawks behind Marshawn Lynch. 5*

The playoffs are all about elite quarterbacks and there is no way the rookie Colin Kapernick is beating Aaron Rodgers. The Packers defense is now healthy and they put the clamps on A.P. last week and I expect them to hold Frank Gore in check this week.
The Packers are on a roll. In the last 11 games of the regular season, they went 9-2 as Rodgers completed 66.5% of his passes for 29 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Even more impressive is the fact he did it without a run game to open things up. Teams know Rodgers is going to throw and they still couldn't stop him. Green Bay is also 5-1 ATS in their last six playoff games, 4-1 ATS in their last five playoff road games, 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games versus a team with a winning record, and 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games on the road versus a team with a winning home record. I'm backing the GB Packers behind Rodgers tonight!
10* NFL PLAYOFFS GAME OF THE YEAR

Peyton Manning and his phenomenal comeback season, has his team more than ready to go. Winners of 11 straight, winning by an average of 15 in that duration, they crushed Baltimore, 34-17, in Baltimore. The Ravens are playing off of the motivational and frenzied drive of Ray Lewis, but Flacco on the road has been poor to say the least. In Denver, turnovers will be a huge key, which Flacco has had a tendency with on the road, in Mile high it is going to be terrorizing. With Manning leading the way, and the Denver defense is very good! Broncos by 22 on Saturday afternoon. 5*

Alabama's Nick Saban knows how to win, which includes wins and ATS Covers in three previous BCS title games. We expect Notre Dame grimly hangs Around for a while but overall Alabama is loaded with athletes on both sides of the ball. The Tide (also ranked 13th in TO margin) unlikely to Hurt itself, its eventual manpower edges likely wear down the Irish. Alabama didn't have the toughest schedule But they pounded most of the teams they did play on their schedule, while ND struggled with teams like Pitt, BYU, and Purdue. 'Bama's QB McCarron, who ranks #1 in passing efficiency & has a TD/INT Ratio of 26/3 tossed a pair of picks in that lone setback. RBs Lacy & Yeldon are A lethal duo (6.4 & 6.5 ypr). Look for #2 Alabama to defeat #1 ND handily On Monday night in the Championship Game. 10*

10* NFL Playoffs Game of the Week:
The Colts have been a big money team this year. They are 8-2 ATS and Andrew Luck is the hottest thing going and doesn't make many mistakes. Chuck Pagano used to coach the Ravens defense so he knows this team well. The Ravens are old and banged up. The defense for Baltimore is not what it was.
Indy also comes in hot, winners of 5 of 6 behind some decent pass defense and the inspirational return of Chuck Pagano, where even in Baltimore. I think Ray Lewis announcing retirement will be a distraction and getting a new offensive coordinator in week 15 is confusing. I like the COLTS here plus the TD.

4*

The Bengals have been hot winning 6 of their last 7 games and playing great ball right now as a team. Their defense is very good and fast and will put a ton of pressure on Matt Schaub. The Texans started strong but finished very poor. They are banged up on defense and I think teams have figured them out. Their average points per game dropped from over 30 to just over 16 their last 5 games. They were held to less than 17 points just one time in their first 12 games, but failed to get there in three of their last four games. It appears that defensive coordinators have figure out this Texans offense Cincinnati has gone 6-2 this season on the road and I like them as the underdog Saturday evening.
5* BEST BET

You can expect some points scored on Thursday night. As late as mid-November these two schools were being predicted to meet in the BCS Championship Game, but then both lost in the same weekend (Nov. 17th) to dash their hopes of a national title.
All of this translates into which team is better equipped at stopping the other one from imposing their own pace and will with better defense. Statistically the edge would appear to go to Kansas State (allow 375 ypg - 42nd; Ore. 382 ypg - 48th). I think Kansas St. has a shot of winning this game straight up so I'm excited to be getting 8.5 points here with the Underdog and Kansas State. Oregon coach Chip Kelly has been eying up some NFL coaching jobs, so I'm not sure he'll be 100% focused here and Kansas St is a very big and physical team similar to Stanford who beat the Ducks. PLAY KANSAS ST tonight.
5*

Louisville brings the 100th-ranked rushing offense to the field against the Florida Gators

4*

Wisconsin must be respected for beating Nebraska, 70-31, in the Big Ten championship game to get to the Rose Bowl while at the same time acknowledging the Badgers were the third best team in their division of the Big Ten and played for the title only because Ohio State (12-0) and Penn State (8-4) were ineligible for the post season. But, with that said, Wisconsin could easily be undefeated this season. Four of the five games it lost were by 3 points and the fifth by a touchdown. A break here or there and it

Let

4*

10* College Bowl Burial
Iowa St played a very tough Big 12 schedule while Tulsa played cupcakes in Conf USA one of the weakest conferences in the country. Iowa St held 11 of their 12 opponents under their scoring average and with the extra time to prepare should take care of business this afternoon. Iowa st gets few players back and should be at full strength on both sides of the ball. Iowa St is well coached, plays solid defense and forces turnovers.

5*
USC hasn't been in a bowl the last 2 years and this will be there chance to shine in the SUN BOWL. I have seen enough of USC this year to know they have the defense and linebacks to stop the GT rushing attack. QB Barkely is out and the freshman Wittek takes the helm with plenty of extra time and practices to get ready for this game. Look for a double digit win for USC on Monday afternoon.

5*
In the first of the Packers

This is most likely Andy Reids final game for the Eagles and he has always played well on the road. He is a players coach and they'll want to get him this one on Sunday.
I also like Michael Vick in at the QB spot here.

The New York defense has not played considerably well, special teams have not been good, and the offense has been relatively bad. The normally dynamic Giants offense has struggled tremendously during the 2nd half of the season. In those last 5 losses, the Giants offense has averaged just 266 total yards and 12.6 points per game.
QB Eli Manning has thrown 4 picks in the last 3 games while completing just over 50% passing and WR Hakeem Nicks has also been banged up to add to the frustration.

Vick's play will be critical in determining how this game plays out but also his stage to showcase his skills in his final game in Philly. The Eagles have tons of talent on offense just like New York. Receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are big play threats along with a strong TE.

Not only do I expect the Eagles to contend but I think they may win this game outright. This is going to be a big effort by both teams but Philadelphia has had the Giants number in recent years. The Eagles have won 8 of the last 9 meetings against the Giants and 5 straight at MetLife Stadium. I think history may just repeat itself again this Sunday. Take the Eagles plus the generous TOUCHDOWN! 10* NFL GAME OF THE MONTH

Coach Patterson has definitely had his hands full this season dealing with a rather young team and a freshman quarterback. However, TCU has been outstanding under Patterson in the postseason winning 6 of their last 7 games. It starts with the TCU defense. Michigan State has struggled tremendously on offense this year averaging just 370 total yards (83rd in FBS) per game. The Horned Frogs defense has been solid for the most part giving up just 332 yards (18th in FBS) per game. For TCU, they are young, but this extra month to prepare for this game helps them tremendously.
Michigan St had much higher bowl hopes at the beginning of the season but finished with a record of 6-6. Anybody that could play a lick of defense this season held Michigan State

Typically the Virginia Tech Hokies' goal each season is to play in South Florida at the Orange Bowl. Afterall Coach Frank Beamer has consistently kept Virginia Tech at the top tier of the ACC and the Hokies are usually in the midst of the ACC Championship hunt where the winner plays in the prestigious Orange Bowl.
The Hokies had to rally this season to win their final two games to finish at 6-6 at earn a postseason bowl bid.


Virginia Tech definitely wants to avoid ending the year with a losing record when they meet the Scarlet Knights this Friday night. Luckily the Hokies have a little history on their side considering ACC teams have won the last 8 of 9 pairings in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

VTech has the edge of the offensive line, defensive line, and coaching. VT has a big dual threat QB with Logan Thomas which Rutgers hasn't faced all season.
In sunny Orlando Florida on Friday I like the athletes on VTECH to get the win and cover for us. 10* Oddsmaker Mistake Friday BURIAL

I like Art Briles and his Baylor Bears to take care of business here against UCLA. Too bad the Bears could not put together more efforts like the one they exhibited against Kansas State back on November 17th when they took to the field as an 11.5 point dog and manhandled the Wildcats destroying any hopes K-State had of appearing in the national title game. I thought Nick Florence did a helluva job this fall stepping into the QB role following Griffin.
UCLA is still depressed about losing their conference championship and had higher hopes than this bowl game. In my opinion for the Bruins to have their best chance in this shootout is to put pressure on Florence and that could be much easier said than done. The Baylor offensive line did a more than reasonable job this season keeping Florence upright considering he tossed a total 451 times and was sacked a mere 16 times over the duration of the season. I see Baylor pulling away in the 2nd half unless the Bears have a horrific night with turnovers. Play on BAYLOR plus the points.
5*

The Duke defense is awful allowing over 500 yards/game their last 4 games. But we

Western Kentucky makes its bowl debut against a Central Michigan team playing in its fourth Little Caesars Bowl in seven years, losing each of the past two by a field goal. The Chippewas are riding a three-game win streak (SU and ATS) thanks mostly to RB Zurlon Tipton who has six straight 100-yard games with 13 TD during this streak. Central Michigan is very excited to be here and has the fans and momentum on their side.
My insiders are reporting that the Chippewas are well-focused forthis trip east from Mount Pleasant to Detroit. The underdog Chippewas, after a couple of years of rebuilding, are maturing into a veteran, balanced force, led by sr. QB Ryan Radcliff and Jr. RB Zurlon Tipton, a Detroit native so he'll want to impress the home fans here.

Meanwhile, Western Kentucky struggled down the stretch (1-3 SU last 4), and saw their Head Coach leave for South Florida. The Hilltoppers covered only 1 of their last 5 as a favorite. This is Western

Fresno State comes into this game at 9-3 and 7-1 in conference play. At 12 point favorites, the public is leaning heavy on Fresno State getting the easy win here, but they have a 1st year coach in DeRuyter and this is his 1st bowl game while SMU's Jones coaches his 10th. SMU has a veteran coach who knows how to prepare his team for the bowls especially in Hawaii. SMU is a young team, but with a month to prepare for this game, I like them getting 12 points. 5*

Both teams need to win, as the Texans are looking for home-field advantage in the AFC, while the Vikes are looking to grab one of the two Wild Card spots come January postseason time. Of course the sub-plot here also involves Adrian Peterson's attempt to set the NFL single-season rushing record. AD is sure to get his touches, and with him being a "home run" threat anytime he touches the pigskin, I have to like Minnesota's chances getting an extra score from the linemakers. After opening the season with four straight covers as the favorite, Houston has only gone 4-4 their last eight tries when listed as the chalk. Minnesota has won back-to-back games in the underdog role, and they have covered five of eight overall as the underdog for the year. Look for the RED HOT Peterson playing in his home state and gunning for the rushing record and the Vikes defense to keep this one close.
5*

All we need is for the Cowboys to win by about a field goal at home. The Saints are off a 41-0 shutout where TB had 5 turnovers and handed them the game. Dallas QB (Tony Romo) with plenty of experience and solid receivers like Witten, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin against a weak New Orleans defense that is out of playoff contention. Dallas is playing great and so is Romo. He has 12 TD passes and only 2 Int's his last 5 games and DeMarcus Murray is running the ball very well. The Cowboys just beat the Steelers last week a team who allowed the fewest yards this season and now face the team who allows the most yards and I like Dallas here at home to take care of business and get the win. 10* GAME OF THE MONTH!

Boise St. returns for it's 3rd straight year to Sin City and not really thrilled to be here. This will be the Husky's third straight bowl appearance. They look to erase the devastating loss to Washington State by getting a chance to end the season on a positive note in Las Vegas. UW was outlasted by the Baylor Bears 67-56 in last year's Alamo Bowl. IT was ugly in the Bowl game last season and they'll be better prepared here. Washington has the defense and tough corners to keep the Boise WR's in check. 5*

Louisiana-Lafayette once more has a possibility at a 9th win after 3 successive victories to end the season. Mark Hudspeth

The bowl game will also be Central Florida head coach George O

The BYU Cougars finished their regular season by demolishing the New Mexico State Aggies 50-14. It was a career day for two BYU offensive players: WR Cody Hoffman and QB James Lark. All Coffman did was pull in 12 catches for 182 yards and he 5 of the 12 grabs were touchdown receptions. Coffman's regular season numbers were impressive as he had 1,134 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. The BYU team is very balanced and smooth and doesn't make mistakes or hurt themselves with penalties. San Diego State

As bad as a season the Jets are having, they are just a game back of the playoffs and very much alive with the Steelers losing on Sunday, while the Titans just keep finding ways to lose games and have gone just 1-5 SU and ATS over the course of the L/6 games. The Jets are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS since the middle of November. More importantly though, New York is 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS in this series dating back to 1996. The Jets have posted ugly back-to-back wins, totaling 559 yards of offense over the last two games. The Titans, who have dropped three straight, were dealt a blow last Sunday when their TE Jared Cook was lost for the year with a torn right rotator cuff. Cook is second on the team in receptions (44) and third in yards (523). Lets take the NY JETS on MNF. 5*

Ron Rivera, Panthers

The 6-7 SU Bucs have revenge for a 35-28 home loss to the Saints last month, a game that ended with the Bucs knocking on the door and coming within a few end-zone inches of tying it on the final play. They out-gained the 5-8 SU Saints 513 to 458, didn