Toldeo hasen

The 2012 New Mexico Bowl features two of the nation's best running backs in Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey and Nevada's Stefphon Jefferson. The Arizona Wildcats have won 3 of their last 5 games and played a very tough schedule this season. The Nevada Wolfpack have dropped 4 of their last 5 and is really fortunate they started the season with 5 straight wins making them eligible for a bowl game. Obviously defense is a questionable factor in this contest in which 76 is the current total. Arizona's D is young, mixed with walk-on athletes adn well rested, and very excited and motivated to be here!
Bowl games are as unpredictable as March madness at times, but I don't see the Wolf Pack hanging on down the stretch. Arizona is the better team and their powerful offense will outlast and out score Nevada. Ka'Deem Carey gets his yards and a win and pull away in the 2nd half comfortably
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The Eagles have gone young on offense for a few weeks now, with Foles and fellow rookie Bryce Brown taking over the quarterback and running back roles for the rest of the year while Reid and Eagles management try and find new homes for Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy. Nick Foles had his best game yet last week in Tampa, throwing for a rookie record 381 yards and two scores as he continues to improve each week. His QB rating has improved in 4 straight weeks and this rookie has played like a veteran.

Cincinnati's offense under second-year QB Andy Dalton is pretty much middle of the pack, ranked 15th overall (355 ypg) and 11th in scoring with an average of 24.7 points per game.
The Eagles appear to be back on track after pulling off a huge road win at TB last week. Nick Foles will continue to mature and the Eagles will play hard for Andy Reid and a PrimeTime TV game on Thursday night.
Take the home underdog with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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This week we are taking the Dallas Cowboys +3.5 as our game of the week. The return of RB Demarcus Murray means everything to the Cowboys. It make the defense stay on their toes and not heavily key on Romo and the Dallas passing attack. The Cowboys are healthy and very dangerous right now and their defense is very solid as well and I believe the Cowboys should be favored here as the Bengals are winning against very weak opponents(Oakland-SD and KC). Look for the Dallas Cowboys to come out on top and get the victory on Sunday afternoon. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK!

Luck will be a great quarterback in this league, but he's still a rookie on a bad team. He has passed for over 3,500 yards, but because the Colts struggle to run the ball, Luck is on schedule to approach the 700-pass mark this season. The Colts also turn the ball over a lot and I expect a big game from Locker and the Titans here. Indy isn't as good as advertised. Jake Locker is going to be able to move the chains, as the Colts have mustered just six sacks in their last four games. Chris Johnson got 99 yards in the first game, and the Colts have surrendered 100+ on the ground in each of their last three. The Titans are 21-9 ATS in their last 30 after scoring 14 or fewer in their previous game. This is the most points Indy has had to lay in two years. Play the TITANS on Sunday plus the +5.

I'm playing on ARMY. I won with Army in last year's game. While they couldn't break through with an outright win, the Knights fought hard the entire way and earned the cover, losing by six. Last year's 26-20 setback was the Knights' 10th straight loss in the series. I believe that the talent gap has really lessened and Army off a 31 pt drubbing to Rutgers is hungry to get back on the field Army is much improved and was in every game into the 4th quarter so throw out the teams records here. With both teams having beaten Air Force, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is in play, making the prospect of a victory even sweeter. Air Force was arguably the best team that Navy beat all season and the Midshipmen needed OT to win that one. Army will be ready and focused here on Saturday afternoon and I'll back them plus the 7 points. 5*

Off the short week and playing with 31-point revenge the Oakland Raiders get their RB Darren McFadden back to the starting line-up. Also the team will be playing with heavy hearts after their HC loss his dad early this week. This is just too many points to pass up, especially since they are playing at home. The Raiders are No. 8 in the league in total passing yards, and expect QB Palmer to have a good day throwing the football. Oakland is 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games against teams from the AFC West. Playing on the road on Thursday Night NFL Network TV Football is always a tough task, and with Baltimore on deck I do not expect the Broncos to show much especially with the short week to prep. NFL home underdogs of eight or more points are 23-2 ATS (92%) over the past 3 years. I like Oakland plus the double digits here at home. 10* NFL GAME OF THE MONTH

Containing RG3 in the pocket is much easier said than done, and in the past few weeks when defenses have crept seven and eight men into the box to limit the Skins league-leading running game (164 ypg), it has resulted in bomb after bomb and lots of big plays in the passing game.
Traditionally the Redskins have been a great wager when facing the Giants, going 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings and 6-1 ATS versus the NFC East in general. Public Money has been pouring in on the Giants (69%) due to their apparent resurrection last week against the Packers, who aren't as good as many think. The Skins offense is rolling scoring over 30 points in each of their last two games. A star is being born in front of our eyes (RGIII). Expect a monster showing from the rook on MNF against a beat up Giants secondary.

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I'm not sure that there's any worse of a matchup for the Titans than the Houston Texans. I just don't see how the Titans defense is going to stop the Texans run game which will setup their passing game nicely. I believe the Texans D will force Locker into making a fair share of mistakes as well. I just can't make a case for Tennesse to cover this number as the Texans should win by double digits. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

Texas has used David Ash at quarterback for a majority of the season, but when he's been ineffective the Longhorn staff hasn't wasted time trotting Case McCoy out to take his place. With Ash nursing sore ribs from the TCU game (listed as questionable), the Wildcats will likely face both of them on Saturday. After watching the Kansas State defense get carved apart by Baylor (342 yards rushing, 580 yards total), this game may turn into a track meet and the last tem with the ball might have the advantage. I believe this spread is way too high. Texas has played some tough road games this year (at Okla. St, at Ole Miss., at Texas Tech) and won them all straight up, you can almost make the argument that they play better away from the pressure of the Austin crowd. I doubt the Longhorns can steal one in Manhattan, but I don't think they'll lose by double digits and Kansas St is still trying to figure out how they still aren't undefeated. 10* UNDERDOG SLAMMER!

Saturday's College Football pick is on Nevada plus the points over the Broncos, taking the points. This is the best offense that Boise state has faced on the season. With a monstrous running attack led behind Stefphon Jefferson, it will test J.C. Percy and Jeremy Ioane of Boise all day. Nevada has lost 3 out of 4 games and has not been playing defense well, but they carry on scoring pts. Boise state comes in with a tremendous defense and continued excellence as a program, but with a fragile SChedule this season, this will be a better game than I think some expect and a fg game. Play Nevada here on Saturday. 5*

The Horned Frogs' defense should slow down the Oklahoma fast paced offense to some extent here as they played great defense in their last 2 games against Texas and Kansas State. TCU is very balanced with the run and the pass which could possibly present problems to that struggling Sooners defense. For TCU to come out on top, freshman QB Trevone Boykin needs to have a big day. TCU's offense runs the ball fairly well between the tackles with tailbacks B.J Catalon and Matthew Tucker. Therefore Boykin has to step up and make plays down the field in the passing game to keep pressure on the Sooners secondary that has been burned in recent weeks. The TCU defense has 20 INTs this season, so they will contain the OKL passing game. Play on TCU plus the points early afternoon on Saturday. 10* GAME OF THE WEEK!

Teddy Bridgewater Louisville

The Colts were looking very good while they were on a four game winning streak and the bandwagon got pretty full. But, those four teams were a combined 11-29 this year. Then they went to New England and everything changed as they were hammered back into reality 59-24. It was a reminder that while Andrew Luck is likely going to be a great QB someday, he is still a rookie. Luck had two passed picked and returned for TDs last week. He has shown flashes of greatness, but he has also shown that NFL defenses take a while to figure out. His 12 TD passes have been equaled by 12 INTs that often hurt, as he tries to squeeze balls into tight areas and gets burned badly. Both of these teams are poor defensively, but the Bills have a solid running game, and that is the biggest advantage by either team here. C.J. Spiller is a game changer, rushing for 6.6 yards per carry. He is a dangerous receiver as well. They

Since Week 3, Home teams are just 45-81-1 ATS. Atlanta is 4-1 ATS on the road this year and will be playing with a chip on their shoulder if you will. The Falcons are 23-9-1 ATS in their last 33 games following an ATS loss.
Josh Freeman is completing just 56% of his passes. Going up against an excellent secondary seems like a bad match-up to me. I like Matt Ryan tobounce back this week in a big way. The Bucs secondary gets torched every other game and their defense is trending down despite its recent win streak. The Falcons rank near the top offensively in drive success rate and third down efficiency, despite a running game that has been missing in action. Atlanta does a really good job in scheming short pass plays that act like runs. The last time Atlanta in a pick'em spot against Tampa Bay they won 20-10 as road dogs in 2010.
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Rutgers is 5-0 in Big East play, but QB Gary Nova is looking very shaky these days and it

The Sun Devils snapped a four-game losing skid and became bowl eligible with last Saturday

The LSU Tigers had a rough showing last week defensively and you can bet that they are angry and look to rebound with a better defensive showing in this one. Last year LSU beat Arkansas 41-14 and the Razorbacks had a much better team than they do this year. Arkansas has just 2 SEC wins this year and they were vs Kentucky and Auburn, which are two of the worst teams in the league. Now they have to line up against a big, fast, LSU squad that doesn

Dallas and their tough defense will be ready for RG3. The Cowboys defense will take away his short passes and play-action garbage. The Skins have lost three of four games and their defense is poor at best. The Cowboys should cover their first home game this season after surviving a scare from the Brownies last week and I look for Tony Romo to put up some big numbers here against the RedSkins on the short preparation week for RG3.
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Matt Stafford was picked off twice by the Packers in a game the Lions should have won. The Lions receivers had several dropped passes and I expect them to play much better on Thursday afternoon. Houston was lucky to overcome a fourth quarter double digit deficit. Matt Schaub threw for 500 and 5 TDs last week and they were beat up and had to travel! We have really doubted Houston

The Dallas Cowboys have the talent to win this game by plenty, but the Browns have a good defense and cornerbacks. Cleveland doesn't win many games, but they often find themselves in them, falling just short. The Browns are 2-11 straight-up in their last 13 games, but they have lost just one of the 11 by more than 10 points. Looking at those numbers from each side, as much as they shouldn't be, the Browns are likely to be in this game down the stretch. Cleveland is 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games When taking 6 or more points, and are 6-0 ATS following an ATS loss. Dallas has not played well at home, going 2-9 ATS in their last nine home games. Dallas is also 1-10 ATS the past two seasons after a win. Take the points and play on Cleveland. 5*

10* NFL GAME OF THE YEAR- Green Bay has owned Detroit, winning 12 of the last 13 meetings but this GB team is really banged up on defense and this is an important game for the Lions. The Lions season is on the line here and a win here at home and they are 5-5 with 6 games left and still time to do some damage. The public is all over the Packers on Sunday and we also have that in our favor. The Pack will be without team sack leader Clay Matthews, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury along with several players OUT in the secondary. That will be trouble for GB as the Lions passing offense is #1 in the league.

The winner of this game locks up the Pac-12 South -- adding an element of intrigue to what has been a one-sided rivalry of late. The Bruins are ranked ahead of USC for the first time since 2001, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley. UCLA is very explosive this year and playing with HUGE revenge from a 50-0 loss last year. Jonathan Franklin is the Bruins' top threat on the ground, ranking third in the conference with 1,270 yards while averaging 6.4 yards per carry and totaling 10 TDs. Defensively, UCLA is among the conference leaders in takeaways with 25 -- including 13 interceptions while USC leads the conference in turnovers with 26 and very sloppy. Look for UCLA to get the win here at home as they are playing the better ball this season. 10* UNDERDOG GAME OF THE MONTH!

Heading into this game the Bulls arrive with both the better offense and the stingier defense as they take on a Miami team that is in serious need of playmakers. Yes, the Canes are riding a 4-0 ATS streak into this non-conference clash and can claim the ACC Coastal with a win at Duke next Saturday. But the combination of a look-ahead and lousy defense is a bad pairing for a substantial 7-point favorite. South Florida is rested and playing with revenge and Holtz improves to a whooping 16-1 ATS in his career as a dog against .500 or less opposition here on Saturday afternoon. 5*

We don

This week things will heat up in the AFC East as the Dolphins travel to upstate New York Thursday night and take on their longtime rivals-the Bills. The temps are gonna be in the 30's for this game and that will favor the home Bills. Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill showed his inexperience after throwing three interceptions, while running backs Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas were held to just 21 yards apiece on the ground last week.
This is a rare Primetime game for Buffalo on National TV and the short week also favors the home team. I like Ryan Fitzpatrick to utilize both Stevie Johnson and Donald Jones to exploit the Dolphins' secondary, and Buffalo to pull away in the 2nd half and get the win.
10* Thursday night NFL GAME OF THE MONTH!

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Some games throughout an NFL season can be tough spots for a team and this has the look of one right here for the New York Giants in this one. The Giants come in off a very hard fought game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend. Typically we have seen that a team doesn't play well the game following playing Pittsburgh the last few years in the NFL because of the physical battle. The Cincinnati Bengals have dropped four straight games coming into this one. They were just beat last Sunday against one of the top teams in the NFL, the Denver Broncos. The week before that loss was another 'close but no cigar' defeat to another tough team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Keep in mind this a team that did make the playoffs last season and have their core group back from that team this season. Play Cincinnati here as I expect a FG type game and the Bengals to get the cover in this contest. 5*

There are many signs that point to Carolina being a much better team than its 2-6 record would indicate. First and foremost, it is outgaining opponents 344.9 to 343.0 on the season, which is a number more indicative of a .500 team rather than one that is 2-6. The Panthers have simply had some tough breaks all season. Five of their six losses have come by 6 points or less, and they could easily be a 5-3 team right now. The Panthers have been playing tremendous pass defense in recent weeks, which is the key to stopping Manning and the Broncos. They held Jay Cutler and the Bears to just 131 passing yards in Week 8. Last week, they limited Robert Griffin III and the Redskins to 186 passing yards. Denver is 1-10 ATS after scoring 30 points or more in 3 straight games since 1992 and we'll back Carolina at home as the Broncos are playing their 2nd straight road game.
10* UNDERDOG GAME OF THE MONTH

The Mean Green like to run the ball and the strength of South Alabama is stopping the run. . The visitors have exhibited a definite home/road dichotomy in their inaugural FBS campaign as the road team stands a perfect 8-0 ATS in USA games this season. Were not about to mess with that, not with a bunch whose 7-3 ATS ledger against losing teams looks good until you notice the losses have all occurred this season! Bottom line is we cant lay more than a touchdown with a North Texas team that's clearly headed south. Lets back the better defense with S Alabama getting 8 points on Saturday evening. 5*

Texas is clearly the more talented team, and it hasn't forgotten about the loss it suffered the last time Iowa State visited Austin in 2010. The Longhorns won last season's meeting 37-14 at Iowa State, and I expect them to roll again here. Texas is the far more explosive offensive team, and it should be able to move the football at will on an Iowa State defense that is minus its best player - Jake Knott. The Cyclones haven't been able to defend the pass to save their lives in recent weeks as they've given up over 400 yards passing in each of their last three games. Texas should score early and often here and get a big win!

Northwestern has been off since their 28-17 win and cover at home over Iowa, as the Wildcats improved to 8-1 versus the line for the season, while also improving to 7-2 overall for the season.
The Wolverines were able to pull away from Minnesota last week despite the absence of QB Denard Robinson, and while Robinson is expected to be back for this one, you have to wonder if that right hand won't give him problems as the game moves on? Michigan is just 4-5 overall against the spread this year, and this impost seems a few points too high for them to cover against a rested and capable pup playing with revenge from last years loss. Take Northwestern plus the points.
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This is not your normal Hokies squad. they are inconsistent on offense, their defense is not doing good and they have had plenty of breakdowns in special teams. Not good when your about to face a Florida State team that has one of the better defenses in the Nation, has had a week off before this one and is seeking revenge for a 44-33 loss to these Hokies back in 2010. Florida State has a Top 5-ranked run defense and I expect a big game from them tonight! The FSU offense has been very good all year, but even more special in their last 3 games, averaging 552 ypg and 44 ppg. They will be taking on a struggling Hokie defense that has allowed 32.6 ppg in their last 5 games. T Florida State is the better team in all phases of this game and should with this one big! 10*

I like the Philadelphia Eagles over the Saints, plus the 3 points. The Saints defense has been awful and just too many distractions for them lately. They ARe also hurt with injuries on both sides of the ball. The Saints are at the bottom in rushing the ball and also defending the pass.

Mike Vick loves to play on turf and they'll have the advantage with all of their team speed in the dome on Monday night. The Eagles sit at 3-4 heading into this game and its a must win to keep their season alive.

DeSean Jackson and Eagles running back LeSean McCoy should enjoy playing at New Orleans, as both have fared well in dome games. Jackson has averaged 100.6 receiving yards in seven career indoor games, while McCoy has averaged 104.2 yards rushing in five such games since 2010.

It

A lot of people are making a big deal of Pittsburgh traveling to the Meadowlands the day of the game against the NY Giants. The fact is this is only a 45 minute flight and wont afffect the team at all. Actually I think it helps the Steelers as they get to sleep in their own beds instead of a hotel. The Steelers are healthy on the offensive line, all 3 RB's are back in action and I like the resolve of Mike Tomlin, Big Ben, and the rest of this group with their speedy WR's going against this Giants secondary. I'll take the points with Pittsburgh as I believe they have a great chance to win this game outright. 10* Underdog Game of the Week

Play Buffalo plus the points versus Houston. I see this as a great spot to take the big dog in the NFL as Houston is still riding their high of beating up on the Ravens and have the Bears on deck, no way can they be emotionally into a game against the Bills. The Bills have enough offensive power to be able to hang with the Texans as they are scoring 24.5 PPG, the leagues 12th ranked offense. 5*

10* OREGON

Both teams are allowing 19.5 points per game but Oregon has the more explosive offense and quicker players. USC

10* Syracuse has won 3 of their last 4 and playing great ball. Syracuse

Pick on WASHINGTON U. Cal quarterback Zach Maynard looked good in a few games, but now back to ugly play for him. The strenght of Washington is their defense and strong cornerbacks. Wash's QB led the team to 31 points and a win against the Bears last season, 19-for-25, 11.7 yards per attempt with 3-0 TD-INT. Look for a very close game here and I love Washington plus the points on Friday night. 5*

VTech aren't happy with 4 losses so far this season with four games to play. But as we keep saying, Tech will probably still win the ACC Coastal, which 3-2 Duke leads, tied with 3-2 North Carolina and Miami-FL, with Va. Tech 2-2. There

The Giants beat Dallas twice last season, yet the Cowboys could have easily won both. The Giants lost to the Redskins twice last season, and barely beat them last Sunday without covering the spread. The Giants are the only 4-3 base defense in their division, and they have not demonstrated the ability to gain dominant scoreboard separation against the other three who all play 3-4s. The new Dallas cornerbacks who foiled New York

There is some pressure in New England, as the fan base decries the apparent weaknesses on what seems to be a paper giant that ranks in the bottom of the league in defending the pass and struggles against teams they should be dominating. STL is well coached on both sides on the ball and catching 7.5 points is too much to pass up. It

The Cyclones are on their home field, with the better defense, against an opponent that hasn

K-State was out-gained in Lubbock 580 to 339 last season, but was 4-0 in turnovers, returned one of them for a touchdown, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and won 41- 34. After 2 straight road games, Kansas St returns home, but Texas Tech is very dangerous and this line is way too high. I like TEXAS TECH plus the points here on Saturday afternoon. 10*

The Bearcats are coming off their first loss on the season last week at Toledo but the final score was not indicative as to how the game was played. Toledo scored 29 points but two touchdowns were on special teams and there was an interception scores. Cincinnati dominated in yardage and lost with a negative turnover differential. Because of that outcome we have an extremely motivated underdog here who has won the last four meetings in this rivalry. This is the game the Bearcats have circled on their schedule, especially since the Cardinals enter play undefeated.
Louisville has beaten just a single team with a winning record, North Carolina, and they almost blew a huge lead in that contest. Louisville is 7-0 on the season but even in victory they have been less than impressive. A 28-21 win at Florida International when the Panthers QB didn't play the entire game, a 21-17 win at Southern Miss who has been a disaster this season, and last week they needed a late rally to beat South Florida 27-25, as S FLA was coming off a BYE in that game and we had them.
I think Cincy is the better team and I expect them to play much better tonight in this primetime game. 5*

The Vikings offense that isn

The Pittsburgh Steelers are banged up and are 0-3 on the road this season. The Steelers, though, likely won't have safety Troy Polamalu (calf), linebacker Chris Carter (hamstring) and right tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle). Rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu was suspended two games Tuesday following his arrest over the weekend. Running backs Rashard Mendenhall (Achilles) and Isaac Redman (ankle), meanwhile, are questionable. Mendenhall scored four touchdowns in last season's two matchups with Cincinnati.
The Bengals (3-3) will try to take advantage of those absences to regain some momentum and I look for Andy Dalton and Green-Ellis to both have big games at home and the Bengals to get the win on Sunday night.
10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK!

I expect a tough game from start to finish in this one. Minnesota, with

5* Kansas St. Kansas State is simply good this year - really good. West Virginia has received a lot of attention for their offense, and QB play rightfully so, but the Mountaineers

10* Underdog on South Florida The Bulls are 5-4 in this all-time series, including a 24-21 overtime win in 2010 when the programs last met in Louisville. S Florida is hungry and off a very intense bye week. Bridgewater is coming off one of the best performances of his career. The sophomore completed 17 of 26 passes for 304 yards with a 75-yard touchdown to DeVante Parker and no interceptions last Saturday. 'Opening up the Big East schedule with a win is a big confidence boost for us,' Bridgewater said. 'Hopefully it will send a message to the rest of the Big East.' The Bulls offense is led by senior quarterback B.J. Daniels. He's thrown for 1,504 yards and 10 TDs while ranking second on the team with 277 rushing yards and four scores. 'If you look at South Florida, they have anywhere from 20-23 seniors and a lot of those seniors are fifth-year guys, so the talent is there,' Strong said. 'Their quarterback, B.J. Daniels, runs and throws the ball very well, but what's key for them is playing and coming together.' The Bulls are coming off their bye week, and one thing they may have worked on is taking better care of the ball. They have 14 giveaways and rank 115th in the country in turnover margin. With 2 solid weeks to prepare for this senior led team, S Florida will be focuses as they take on this ranked opponent.
10* Underdog Shocker

Oklahoma State's No. 1 ranked offense and strong revenge motive have pushed this line past the two-touchdown mark. Oklahoma State just slipped past Kansas, 20-14, last week as 26 1/2-point road favorites and most likely looking ahead to this revenge game.
The Cowboys have fancy offensive numbers such as a nation-best 601.4 yards per game and scoring 48.6 points per game. Last year the Cowboys were 13-1 and that loss was to this Iowa State team that were 27 point dogs! Oklahoma State has way to much offense, and are a better balanced team than this Cyclones unit. This time, not only is Iowa State off a loss but Oklahoma State is playing its homecoming game. In other words, the situation is entirely different from what it was last season. Even with last week's ATS loss, the Cowboys are a terrific 7-2 ATS (8-1 SU) in October the past few seasons. Oklahoma State had this game circled all year and while they were game-planning for this game last week against Kansas they didn't want to show them any new looks or formations.

I expect the revenge-minded Cowboys, who destroyed the Cyclones in the last meeting here at home, by a 59-17 score and should have no problems on Saturday in a big blowout win on Senior Day.
10* College Game of the Year!

The Chargers gave the Saints a win last week with a typical mistakes and San Diego has once again fallen back to the pack after a promising start to the season. I expect the Chargers to make the corrections and bounce back tonight on MNF. Defensively San Diego allows 20.4 points per game and with the Vegas Over/Under at 50 points, the margin of covering the spread is certainly there. San Diego is 4-0 against the spread following a loss, and 7-0 against the spread in their last seven games against AFC teams. PLAY THE SD CHARGERS here in a pick'em situation. 5*

Kansas City Chiefs losing Matt Cassel hurts the team in the passing game. Even though he wasn

The Cowboys have had almost two weeks to prepare for this game and get their running game back on track. Last year, they scored a ton and couldn't stop anyone. This year, their defense is very good, but their offense has struggled. Jason Witten said, "This has to be a wake-up call for us." And Dallas has always performed well off blowout losses, in the past, so I expect Romo and his WR's to be on the same page tonight and the Cowboys running game to get going with Murray to have a big day. 10*

I like Vanderbilt as the home dog +9.5 points in an SEC showdown with Florida, in what we like to call a "sandwich game". Florida is fresh off a huge emotional upset win at home over LSU, and the Gators have a home clash with Top-5 South Carolina up next, not to mention their annual "cocktail party" with Georgia the weekend after. All the hype and national attention this week, I beleive they get caught looking ahead here today at Vandy
Vandy just pulled the upset win over Missouri last weekend, and the Commodores are a perfect 9-0 against the spread at home under head coach John Franklin, including their opening night underdog cover against South Carolina in a game they surely could have won outright. Look for Vandy to hang tough at home in this Saturday night prime spot.
10* Diamond in the ROugh play.

Nick Saban believes Alabama faces a unique challenge with a visit to SEC-newcomer Missouri on Saturday. The test seems far greater for the Tigers, however, as they face the nation's No. 1 defense, but a closer look reveals that Alabama really hasn't played a very difficult schedule.
Alabama, which is coming off a bye week, lost backup running back Dee Hart and wide receiver DeAndrew White to season-ending injuries against the Rebels, but seems to have enough other weapons on offense.This is just too many points to a tough Missouri team playing at home. I dont think they will win, but 22 poins is too much to pass up.
5*

AUBURN has owned old Miss the last 3 years and 7 of the last 8 meetings. Auburn has the talent and players and will put it all together this week. Auburn had 5 turnovers last week including a pair of INT's in the endzone which hurt. The play at quarterback has been about as bad I have seen in some time. Keihl Frazer and Clint Mosely would be lucky to find a starting job in the Sun Belt Conference. These two have combined to throw 10 interceptions with just three touchdowns. Ole Miss has been the laughing stock of the SEC West for a few years now and and dont see them winning here today. A lot of people don't realize how much talent the Tigers have on the offensive side of the ball. It was only the second time in 4 years that they were held to less than 10 points in a game. This is a FG type of game and I love Auburn PLUS THE points on Saturday afternoon. 10* Underdog Game of the Month

I like the Troy Trojans plus the small number at home vs. Western Kentucky. I believe the wrong team is favored. The Trojans are 8-1-1 all-time versus Western Kentucky including a 4-0-1 mark at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
This one should be extra fun because it pits two strengths against each other... Troy's passing attack vs. W. Kentucky's pass defense and (more importantly) pass rush. Quanterus Smith is an absolute beast at defensive end. He leads the nation averaging 1.62 sacks per game. Conversely, Troy

This really is a must-win game for the Steelers, but the oddsmakers know that. The Eagles are 3-1 but have their three wins by a total of just four points. They haven't played their best ball, yet they continue to win. Andy Reid and the Eagles always do well on the road and their last road game was an embarrassment in Arizona. The Steelers get a few defensive players back, but they aren't in game shape. The Eagles defense is flat-out nasty and I see at least 5-7 sacks from them in this one. At the end of the day both QB's are playing behind offensive lines that just are not very good. Right now the Eagles pass rush is a bit better than the Steelers and so are the Eagles Special Teams. Look for the Eagles to get the cover and possibly the outright win, but 3.5 points is just too much to pass up here. TAKE THE EAGLES as a 10* NFL GAME OF THE MONTH!

Since the UCLA debacle, the Huskers defense has came together. The Husker offense is the story here. OSU one demsional with a running QB in Miller and running QBs do give NU trouble, but Huskers can trade points with QB Martinez throwing to WR Stills and RB's Burkhead and Abdullaha are one of the best 1-2 punches at RB in the nation, and Nebraska is a much better tackling team. Nebraska is 4-1 behind their powerful running game, that's gained 259 rushing yards or more in each of their first 5 games. And the way Ohio St has trouble tackling Big Red should be able to move the ball throughout the game. Both teams won their Big 10 openers last Saturday, with OSU winning at Michigan State by a point, 17-16. Ohio State may be undefeated, but they've played a terrible schedule, beating teams like Miami-OH, UCF, and UAB and this will be their toughest opponent by far this season- and their first loss! I like Nebraska's experience and veteran offense that is clicking here. 5*

Overall the Gamecocks defense as a whole has been extremely impressive this year giving up just 11.2 points per game (6th in FBS). South Carolina has also yielded just 288 yards per game this season which ranks 13th overall in total defense. Georgia has 2 young RB's and will be without their best WR.
QB Connor Shaw is a guy that can make plays with his feet and is one of the most under rated passers in the SEC. Shaw completed 20 straight passes in the 31-10 victory over Missouri two weeks ago in one of the best performances in the SEC in recent memory. Shaw missed some playing time earlier this season with a banged up shoulder, but he has completed an impressive 78% of his passes this season resulting in 5 scores and 2 picks. South Carolina has the passing game to make some plays but the Gamecocks offensive success will most heavily ride on the legs of Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore is without a doubt one of the best tailbacks in the country. SC had 2 weeks to prepare and I expext a huge performance from them tonight to win by 4-10 points.
10*

The LSU defense, which is only allowing 217.8 yards and 12.6 points per game, will be the difference in this one. Florida is 0-6 ATS since the beginning of the 2010 season when matched up against good defensive teams that allow 4.5 yards or less per play. The Gators have lost to these teams by an average of 14.2 points. Everyone is doubting LSU, but they will be focused against a young Florida team. Plus, LSU 5-1 as a road favorite the last 3 seasons. Florida 3-12 versus teams with a winning record the last 3 seasons.Florida is 1-7 the last 3 seasons as an underdog. Look for LSU to pull away in the 2nd half.
10* LSU

This is a prime spot for Matt Barkley and USC on ESPN. I watched the replay of when Utah went down to Tempe and got abused by the Sun Devils and frankly guys, that offensive line was a joke. I have a difficult time seeing Kiffin's kids coming out flat here because let's face it, those kids like the spotlight of prime time just as much as the Utah kids do. I would like to see Lane Kiffin step out of his comfort zone some on offense and open up the playbook some. Last years game was close and I just don't see that here. USC holds huge athletic and skills advantage on the play making and the Trojans will breeze here. 5* USC

Arizona has a great defense and they have beat some very good teams. Whisenhunt hopes that belief and his team's collective confidence extends to the prime-time stage. Arizona has won 10 of 11 against the Rams (2-2), and seven straight at the Edward Jones Dome. Arizona also has the specials teams advantage and the Rams are banged up. Stephen Jackson will play but he isn't 100%. The Rams have gotten many breaks with turnovers, but Arizona protects the ball and Kolb is playing great for them. 5* ARIZONA CARDS/

The 2-1 Bears have two big wins at home against weak opponents (Indy and St. Louis) and then got beat big on the road in Green Bay. Jay Cutler has struggled in the last two games, failing to exceed 183 yards passing and tossing for just one score. He was intercepted four times in Green Bay and once by the visiting Rams. Worse yet, Cutler has been sacked 11 times this season while being hit hard far more times than that. The offensive line continues to be a major issue and facing the Cowboys in Dallas is not going to do anything to improve the blocking.
The Dallas Cowboys defense has been outstanding and now they

I like the NY GIATNS plus the points on Sunday as they had 3 extra days to prepare for this game. The Eagles have struggled with protecting their QB Mike Vick, allowing 9 sacks so far on the season. Now facing a team that has recorded 6 sacks so far is going to be troublesome. The Eagles have been turning the ball over an average of 4/game, which is never a good thing, and Vick hasnt been accurate with his passes. The Giants have a monstrous pass rush and also a huge passing game behind Eli, , going against miserly pass coverage in Philly, who haven

New England did not look good versus Baltimore as they allowed over 500 total yards. This truly is a huge game for the Patriots as they could fall to 1-3 if they lose here. All I heard all week was NO WAY The Pats start 1-3.
New England is lucky to be in the weakest division in football and even with a loss here would still have time and the ability to come back and capture the AFC East. Buffalo has added confidence after posting their second straight win at Cleveland and the Bills look to be clicking on both sides of the ball and have a very big and fast defense. I think Buffalo has the weapons to compete this year and as long as they don't have numerous turnovers, this one comes down to the final gun and the points will come into play. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

5*

CAL has played a very difficult schedule so far and has hung tough with all opponents. Look for a tight game throughout, but the home team to use the home field and their speed to pull away late. 5*

The Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) have scored more than 40 points in each of their first four games. Georgia has also won two straight games in the series, including a 41-14 decision in Athens two years ago and a 20-12 victory at Tennessee last year. Georgia's attack has good balance. Freshman tailback Todd Gurley has 406 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Gurley is averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Keith Marshall, another freshman, has 264 yards rushing with three touchdowns. Tenn already struggled and lost to Florida, whose offense isn

First road start for Stanford QB Nunes, who's completed only 53.9% of his passes. Cardinal was outgained in narrow 20-17 win over San Jose State, but then beat USC in last game- they've won six of last seven tilts with Washington, crushing Huskies 41-0 and 65-21 last two years but that was with Luck at QB and his top tight ends on the field.


The Stanford Cardinal is off the big upset win over USC and has been celebrating for 2 weeks now.


Washington had last weekend off after rebounding with a 52-13 win over Portland State on Sept. 15, but coach Steve Sarkisian is well aware of the challenge that awaits his team in its Pac-12 opener.Look for Sarkisian to have his team ready for this Thursday night National TV game.

The Eagles are the first team ever in the history of the NFL to start the season 2-0 while turning the ball over 9 times. Vick led the futility charge with 7 TOs himself (6 INTs). He knows he has to be better Sunday at securing the ball and odds are he will. The Eagles offense is as explosive as any in the league, and they have a ton of speed. Just imagine a game with 2 or fewer turnovers. On defense, the Eagles strength is in the secondary with arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league with Asomugha and Rodgers Cromartie. Considering the Cardinals rely heavily on the passing game with little of a running attack, this scenario bodes well for the Eagles. Look for the former Cardinal Rodgers Cromartie to be a factor in this game going against the former Eagle with Kevin Kolb. Andy Reid knows him best. The Cardinals offense is the lowest ranked in the league after two games with a 250 ypg average. In the two games the Eagles offense has accumulated an average of 471 ypg while the defense has allowed an average of 268 ypg for a +203 differential. The Cardinals offense has accumulated an average of 250 ypg while the defense has allowed an average of 320 ypg for a -70 differential and the team is 2-0. Take the Eagles to get a big win on the road behind Michael Vick. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

Fresno State was jumping around like a cage of monkeys at the zoo about winning by 54 points last Saturday have to realize that Colorado State is pretty horrible, and that Tulsa can steamroll the visitors on the ground as well as frustrate QB Derek Carr with an overloaded secondary playing nickel from the outset. TULSA has too many weapons and playing at home, they will pull away in the 2nd half.
10* College Blowout Burial!

San Jose St is a much improved team this year and getting no respect. Their defense is very tough and if can stand tall, they

The last thing the Trojans want to do is let Cal beat them after just losing to Stanford. The season is still young, and they aren't about to quit after one loss. I expect USC to be motivated, and it will take its frustrations out on a Cal team it has owned. The Trojans have won 8 straight against the Golden Bears by an average of 18.5 points and have gone 6-2 ATS in these contests. USC has won the last 3 meetings by 27, 34 and 21 points, respectively. The Trojans are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 games following a loss. The season is early so USC needs to win and win big in the remainder of their conference games if they want to get back in the BCS picture. 5*

Temple seems to play better on the road and this is a HUGE in-state battle. Temple has a BYE next week, so they would love to get this one. The Temple defense is tough and had 2 weeks to prepare for Penn St. Temple was more competitive in each of the last 3 games against Penn St and I like them to battle right to the end here today.
10* College Game of the Week

Denver QB Peyton Manning looked great against the Steelers last week and now goes on the road, when the Broncos travel down to the Georgia Dome for a week two NFL clash with the Atlanta Falcons in primetime on ESPN

Yes, the Bills looked terrible in the first week. Simply terrible. But, I do like them to bounce-back here at home as I think they took the Jets too lightly from the Jets pre-season numbers and I don't see them getting blindsided here at home.
The Bills were down 41-7 at one point last week and they are a much better team than that.
Fitzpatrick will bounce back with a much better game at home and the Bills defense is much better than they showed last week. Look for a much more synchronized effort here as the Bills likely click better offensively and defensively this week after an offseason of major upgrades to its defense. 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

This is a huge Saturday night Prime-time college match-up as two national rivals put it one the line as Michigan State host Notre Dame. ND's defense will limit the Michigan St offense this evening. The ND Irish have been rejuvenated by defensive minded Brian Kelly and his in-game decision making. Last week replaced starting quarterback Everett Golson for senior Tommy Rees who lead the game winning scoring drive. ND has strong linebackers and defense and are strong enough up from to repeat last's year run defense against Le'Veon Bell keeping him to 70 yards. Michigan St is very one-dimensional and their secondary is suspect. I expect a very tight game here so I am taking the +6 points with Notre Dame on Saturday night! 10* College Game of the Week!

USC senior quarterback Matt Barkley leads the nation with 10 touchdown passes through two games. Barkley has two dangerous targets in receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Leeand the passing game is complemented by two strong runners in Curtis McNeal and Penn State transfer Silas Redd who had his first 100-yard rushing game as a Trojan last week. The Trojans are 4-0 ATS in their last four conference games and the road team is 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings. USC has also scored at least 30 points in 10 consecutive games. 5*

SMU won 52-0 last week against Stephen F Austin while Texas A&M blew a halftime lead against Flroida in their SEC Opener, a game they dominated for almost 3 quarters before losing a tight one. SMU's score is very skewed as they were given 10 turnovers in that game. Also bear in mind that Kevin Sumlin played SMU the past 5 years as Houstons head coach and know this team well enough to have a 5-0 SU and ATS record against them!
The Aggies are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 versus C-USA while the Mustangs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 versus the SEC. I love Texas A&M here with a QB who can run and pass the ball, by far the better team here and should cruise.
10* COLLEGE BURIAL!

This will be Penn St's breakout game. They have the defense and linebackers to stop and control Navy's rushing attack. I also think Penn St will move the ball easily through the air and on the ground. I realize they have a kicker issue,but that means they'll probably go for it on 4th downs more and convert TD's instead of FG's and help us cover this 7 pt number. PLAY ON PENN ST here at home to get their first win and I expect them to pull away in the 2nd half. 5*

Cincinnati

The Broncos defense was great last year and kept them in every game. They have two great playmakers in Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller.
Now Denver has Peyton Manning on offense to go with the tough defense

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall will not be ready for Sunday

Last week Nebraska put up 600 yards on offense on S Miss and dominated from start to finish. UCLA won last week too big but were only 2-11 on third down conversions against a weak Rice team and 3 of their TD's were for 70 yards or more on defensive meltdowns. QB Taylor Martinez worked all offseason on his throwing and the early returns do look promising. The talent is there and this will be the best team Coach Bo Pelini has had and they are senior led against a UCLA team with a freshman QB and new head coach. UCLA has questions on the offensive line with a really young squad. UCLA is just 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games. Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez will play well here as a homecoming in his home state of CA. BIG RED by 13 HUGE Saturday Night 10* play.

Lets jump on this Wyoming team as the line is at 2.5. This is a terrible spot for Toledo this week as they had to travel to Arizona last Saturday and play in 100 degree temps in a game that went into OT. Then again this week its a long travel to the high altitude of Wyoming and play a senior led team who is very agressive and played Texas very tough last week and well coached.
Wyoming played a very impressive game, as the Cowboys averaged 6.1 yards per play against a very good Texas defense while allowing 6.0 yppl to the Longhorns. Wyoming did have an 82 yard pass play that skewed their yards per play average but they certainly played much better than expected offensively thanks to the effective passing of sophomore quarterback Brett Smith, who completed 57% of his passes and 9.2 yards per pass play. Smith would have averaged an impressive 6.9 yppp even without the 82 yard play, so his numbers were very good against one of the best defenses in the nation. Wyoming

Michigan will bounce back this week against a very poor AF team who only returns 5 starters this year. ALL purpose player Tim Jefferson is gone and this Air Force squad will struggle to score this Saturday! Michigan will be able to score at will after facing the huge Alabama defense last Saturday. Look for Robinson to have a monster game rushing and passing and Michigan to romp in the big house by 35+ points 5*

The SMU Mustangs got Texas transfer QB Garrett Gilbert a ND he'll help keep this game close. The Baylor Bears lost five players from last year's offense to the NFL draft, and that also includes all-time leading receiver Wright, and RB Terrance Ganaway who accounted for over 1,500 yards rushing last season! Some mighty big holes to fill if you ask me, and my thinking is this impost will be a little bit difficult for the Bears to cover. SMU does have some firepower in their arsenal - Zach Line and Darius Johnson to name a pair - that should be able to take advantage of Baylor's leaky defense that allowed 40-points per game last season.
5*

The Louisville Cardinals are picked to win the Big East and host their arch rival the University of Kentucky Wildcats Sunday afternoon. Louisville is expected to dominate the weak Big East while the Cats are picked to struggle thru the very tough SEC. It shows how confident the UK fans are in that they passed and only bought 2000 of their 5000 ticket allotment. L-Ville comes in with big expectations, while UK comes in with real questions in their secondary, while the Cards have a veteran very strong defense. Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater appears to have some upside while being further along than any of the Kentucky quarterbacks who have proven to be different shades of lousy. Louisville had bowl practices in December; Kentucky

Auburn, without Newton, dropped from 14-0 to 8-5 last fall and brought plenty of off season changes. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn left to become Arkansas State's head coach and Chizik brought in Steve Loeffler to take over. National championship defensive coordinator Ted Roof moved to Central Florida and eventually Penn State in the same position and Auburn hired Brian VanGorder of the Atlanta Falcons. There are a lot of changes on this team and it takes players time to get used to the new style. Auburn quarterback Kiehl Frazier will make his first start Saturday night and the backfield won't include its top rusher the past two years in Michael Dyer, who left after he was suspended indefinitely by Chizik for violating team rules. Clemson's record-breaking offense from a year ago -- the Tigers posted the most yards and points in its long history -- will be minus All-American receiver Sammy Watkins, serving the first of a two-game suspension for an off season drug arrest. Clemson center Dalton Freeman knows facing Auburn early is a perfect opportunity to build on last year's championship season and Clemson gave up 70 in their last game in the Bowls and defense has been the focus all summer.
10* Oddsmaker Mistake Play

Syracuse front 7 is going to be scary good this year, returning all 3 starting LBs and have the biggest D-line in Marrone's tenure...including Defensive player of the year at JUCO Markus Pierce-Brewster(who has been dubbed the next freeney by coaches) add in Goggins, Sharpe and Bromley and this D-line is going to be awesome. Senior led QB facing a Northwestern secondary who was one of the worst in the country last year. Northwestern in its history, has struggled against the Orange, going 1-5 SU. And the Wildcats haven't beaten Syracuse in the Carrier Dome in their last three tries. Syracuse will love to win this game because next week they have to play the USC Trojans, and I do not believe the Orange will beat the Trojans. Northwestern is 2-7 ATS as a road favorite and the Syracuse Orange are 9-4 ATS in the month of September. Syracuse Freshman RB Ashton Broyld is one of the top recruits in the country and I'll back the bigger, faster, and more athletic home team here with Syracuse. 10* College Game of the Week

4*

Anytime you get a proven winning coach like Ron English getting points versus a team that is only 2-9 at home the last 3 seasons that is just too good to pass up. Eastern Michigan continues to surprise and has a ton of returners. Last year they went 6-6 for the first time since the 1995-96 season, and may have turned the corner. They have a lot back from that team, including QB Alex Gillet who passed for over 1500 yards, and ran for another 700+. He also cut down his INTs from 13 to 7. He should continue to improve.
The Ball St Cardinals have no magic at home where they are 5-16 ATS in their last 21. Take Eastern Michigan with bigger,faster,and stronger athletes than they have had in their painful decades of football with a senior quarterback to kickoff your college football season with an underdog win.
5*

5*
The Giants will see a lot of New England's no-huddle attack. Brady runs this style of offense extremely well and with 2 weeks to prepare will pick them apart with short passes which will then open up the deep game and running game. By doing so, the defense can't substitute personnel. If Brady finds a weakness -- which is very easy to do with the offensive personnel he has at his disposal -- he can consistently find favorable matchups. Brady is a master at controlling the flow of the game. The Giants defense has allowed 5.4 yards per carry in the NFC Championship Game.

The Patriots controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the day against the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, and it was the reliable BenJarvus Green-Ellis who reaped the benefits. Green-Ellis gets what is blocked, plus a little more, but he isn't a big-play threat. Green-Ellis' powerful running style and ball security could be very valuable in this matchup. New England will utilize a multitude of ball carriers, though, including Danny Woodhead, who is as much a slot receiver as he is running back.

I like Green-Ellis

The last 10 times a team advanced in the Playoffs by beating the Super Bowl Champ they are 0-10 ATS in their next encounter, which brings us here. Also, there has only been 2 teams with 9-7 regular season records to advance to the Super Bowl.
This is the Giants 3rd playoff game(2nd straight on the road) whileSan Francisco is on quite a run as are 8-0-1 ATS at home this season and 19-6-3 ATS in their last 28 as hosts. The Niners are one of the hardest hitting teams in football allowing an NFC low 14.3 points per game. They are almost impossible to run on and their defense and special teams are very good.
Look for the 49ers to win and advance to the SUPER BOWL and I am back them at home as our 10* NFL PLAYOFFS GAME OF THE YEAR!

Flacco has just not played well in recent weeks and completed just of 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards last week. Several of those yards came from great catches by his receivers. Joe has thrown only 6 TD passes the last 8 games, while Brady threw 6 last week. The Baltimore defense is solid but very old and I like the Pats to take advantage on Sunday afternoon.

baltimore didn't have a turnover last week and had zero penalty yards and barely won the game at home.
Now they are on the road against an explosive offense with a great coach.

The Ravens are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games and I do not believe they will have an answer to Brady and company this weekend. Houston QB T.J Yates missed many open opportunities last week against the Ravens defense that Brady will not miss this week. I think there is a big speed/size mismatch with the Baltimore linebackers and the Patriots Tight Ends and Receivers which will be a big difference. Additionally, I just do not think Baltimore has enough offense to score points to keep this one close. Look for the Patriots to pull away in the 2nd half and get the cover for us.
5*

Green Bay led by Aaron Rodgers against a shabby passing defense, where he will be able to do what he does every week; Rodgers can be very elusive and has a quick release as well. Look for the Packers to pressure Eli and force him into mistakes. Green Bay scores huge points in Lambeau, and the Giants passing defense is bad. THE PACKERS are healthy and ready to defend their title and with the extra week to prepare they'll take care of business and get a BIG WIN. 5*

Houston has a strong rushing attack and TJ Yates has been extremely impressive in his debut season, leading the Texans to their first playoff victory and probably setting himself up with a job in Houston for as long as he wants to be a backup. Houston