Idle since Saturday, the Maple Leafs should have their legs. They have produced at least 3 goals in each of their last five games. The Stars are the No. 2 scoring team in the league. They have scored 4 or more goals in five of their last six games. The Over has cashed four of the last five times the Stars have hosted Toronto. 

Cleveland returns home after losing, 92-81, to the Knicks this past Sunday. The Cavaliers are 5-8 on the road, but 10-1 at home. Going back to last season, the Cavaliers are 11-1-1 ATS during their last 13 games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Cavaliers average eight more points per game at home and shoot 49.3 percent from the field compared to hitting 46 percent of their field goals on the road.

The Lakers are playing well, winners of three in a row. LA is 2-0 on its current road swing upsetting the Bucks this past Friday and defeating the Wizards on Sunday. The Lakers are 1-6 ATS the past seven times when meeting an above .500 opponent, though.

The Cavaliers should be the more motivated team defending home turf plus taking on LeBron James, their former face of the franchise. The teams met in LA on Nov. 6 and the Cavaliers won, 114-100.

Home field: Check mark to Buccaneers. It's an off-surface, too, for the visiting Saints. They are used to turf not grass. 

Quarterback: Check mark to Tom Brady over Andy Dalton. 

Defense: Check mark to the Buccaneers' fifth-ranked defense compared to the Saints' 21st ranked defense. 

These are three strong handicapping factors as to why I believe the Buccaneers will beat the Saints by more than a field goal. 

The Saints are 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four true road games. They haven't won on a grass field all season, including last week when they were shut out by the 49ers at Levi's Stadium. 

Not only is Brady much superior to turnover-prone Dalton, but he has better receiving weapons with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Godwin is coming off his best game of the year since suffering a knee injury last December.

The Saints could be down two members of their secondary with cornerback Marshon Lattimore missing the last seven games due to an abdominal injury and safety P.J. Williams suffering a knee injury last week. 

Brady entered this Week 13 leading the NFC in passing yards. He's been picked off just once since opening week. Dalton has been intercepted six times in his last four games.

Tampa Bay gives up the fifth-fewest points per game in the NFL. The Bucs rank fifth in pass defense and ninth in total defense. The Saints rank 21st in scoring defense. They have the fewest takeaways in the league with just six. 

The Bucks are in the argument for best team in the NBA. The Magic have the worst record in the league at 5-19. They've lost eight in a row with their last five defeats coming by an average of 15.6 points.

Milwaukee is 9-1-1 ATS during its last 11 visits to Orlando.

So why are the Bucks laying less than double digits?

The answer is they shouldn't be since Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday - their three best players - are rested and expected to play. They sat out during the Bucks' 105-96 road win against the Hornets this past Saturday after Milwaukee had played on Friday night.

It's the Magic who are the banged-up team. Orlando has been without center Wendell Carter Jr., point guard Jalen Suggs along with Gary Harris, Mo Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Chuma Okeke. This has weakened an already weak player rotation.

The Bucks have one of the deepest benches in the league. So I don't see Milwaukee coughing up a huge lead.

This is going to be an emotional game with Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy returning to Boston for the first time after being the Bruins coach for six seasons until being let go this past June.

I'm expecting a tight-checking matchup between two strong defensive clubs.

Boston gives up the fewest goals per game in the NHL. The Bruins have held 11 of their last 13 opponents to two goals or fewer. It's a break for the Under if Las Vegas' Jack Eichel can't play after suffering a lower-body injury in the Golden Knights' last game two days ago.

Las Vegas gives up the seventh-fewest goals per game at 2.7. This is the finale of a four-game, eight-day road trip. So the Golden Knights aren't likely to push tempo.

The Under has cashed the past four times the teams have met in Boston.

The Trail Blazers return to Portland following a 116-111 road victory against the Jazz last night. They'll find an angry Pacers squad there to greet them.

After nipping the Lakers on the road this past Monday, the Pacers have gotten blown out in their last two games, road defeats to the Kings on Wednesday and Jazz on Friday.

Indiana has a strong recent bounce back record covering four of the last five times following a non-cover. The Pacers have been a money-maker covering 12 of their last 17 games.

Portland has failed to cover in its last four home games.

The Trail Blazers could get back star guard Damian Lillard. If that's the case, though, the line could go up more. Lillard figures to be rusty after missing the past seven games. Lillard's return could impact Anfernee Simons, who has been on fire since Lillard has been out, while also causing a letdown among his teammates.

I see this as a kill spot for the frustrated Islanders. The spot sets up well for them to bury the Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks just snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating the Rangers, 5-2, on Saturday. Chicago had surrendered 37 goals in their previous seven games.

The Islanders have lost their last two games, to the Flyers on the road and two days ago at home to the Predators in a game that was closer than the 4-1 final indicates.

The Islanders are a far better team than the Blackhawks, who rank 28th defensively.

The Rams have no hope this season and Sean McVay knows it. He admits he doesn't have the players to compete anymore. The oddsmaker has not fully grasped this yet.

Minus Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and going with their 11th different offensive line combination, the 3-8 Rams are dead. They have lost five in a row, averaging 14.8 points during this span.

Seattle isn't about to feel sorry for the Rams. The Seahawks have lost two in a row with the latter coming in overtime to the Raiders. This is a circle-the-wagons game for them. Geno Smith is playing his finest ball, a strong candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. He's helped the Seahawks average 26.5 points, fourth-best in the league. Seattle has averaged even more during their last four road games producing an average of 37 points.

Losing Donald really hurts the Rams' defense and their offense is broken, forced to use scrubs at quarterbacks and fourth and fifth-string type offensive linemen.

This should be a loose and fun game between a pair of 4-7 teams.This matchup is inside a dome thus ensuring a fast track. Both head coaches are aggressive. All pluses for an Over.

Trevor Lawrence is finally living up to his immense hype. He's enjoying his best three-game NFL stretch completing 77 percent of his throws for six TD's and no interceptions during this span. The Jaguars just put up 28 points against a much better Ravens defense.

The Lions give up the most points in the NFL at 28.2. They've allowed 24 or more points in all but two of their games.

Detroit, though, is a top-eight scoring team. The Lions have scored at least 30 points in five of their 11 games. Jared Goff is a much better quarterback when playing in warm weather. He faces a Jaguars pass defense that ranks 25th.

Much has been made about the Packers' steep descent this season. But look at the Bears. They are 1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS in their last nine games with five consecutive losses. Injuries and trades have made their defense a laughing stock.

Aaron Rodgers has owned the Bears, beating them 24 of 29 times. Rodgers has completed 76 percent of his passes for 1,221 yards with a 16-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last five games versus Chicago.

Rodgers is banged-up. But the Packers finally have their bye next week. So I expect Rodgers to be going all out. He'll be looking at a decimated Chicago secondary that is missing three starters, including both safeties. Chicago has the fewest sacks in the NFC with 16.

Matt LaFleur does one thing consistently right - and that's beat the Bears. He's the only Green Bay coach to win his first seven regular-season games against Chicago.

Justin Fields is expected to start, but he'll be missing his No. 1 wide receiver with Darrell Mooney done for the season with an ankle injury. Fields is a tremendous runner, but the Bears likely will be cautious with him. Fields has an AC-joint shoulder sprain and the Bears have their bye next week.

The Packers also may have finally found a special teams weapon as Keisean Nixon had two 50-plus yard returns against the Eagles last week.

The Commanders are 6-1 in their last seven games. They've gotten a big boost since making a QB switch from toxic Carson Wentz to Taylor Heinicke. 

But I see the Commanders running out of gas in this divisional matchup. The Giants are getting healthier and are on a mini-bye having last played on Thanksgiving. The Commanders haven't had their bye week yet. 

I like Brian Daboll more than Ron Rivera. I favor Daniel Jones above Heinicke and I certainly like Saquon Barkley far more than any Washington skill position player. Barkley's matchup is enhanced by the Commanders missing highly underrated linebacker Cole Holcomb. Barkley gets another boost with the expected return of good-looking rookie offensive right tackle Evan Neal from a knee injury.

Jones has a history of playing well against Washington. He has nine TD passes against them, which is four more than he has thrown against any other opponent. 

Heinicke has provided an emotional spark to the Commanders. Talent-wise, though, he's not very good. He's short and doesn't have a strong arm. Heinicke has a 7-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his six starts. 

The Giants have covered five of the last seven times in this series. 

Pittsburgh has yet to win two in a row this season. I don't see it happening here. It's a tough spot for the Steelers traveling on a short week following an upset road victory against the Colts this past Monday. Pittsburgh has failed to cover seven of its last 10 away contests.

Cordarrelle Patterson gives the Falcons the most dynamic skill position player on the field. He's also a star kick returner. I trust veteran Marcus Mariota against the Steelers' 30th-ranked pass defense more than Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett.

Pickett has a passer rating of 73.5 and a 3-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Steelers' top two running backs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, are both banged-up. Harris will be a go, but Warren's status is up in the air.

The Coyotes have allowed 4 or more goals in seven of their last eight games as they play their 12th of 14 straight road games.

The Canucks have scored 4 or more goals in six of their last eight games, but aren't likely to have starting goalie Thatcher Demko, who suffered a leg injury in their last game.

Vancouver has surrendered 13 goals in its last three games.

The Over has cashed in five of the last seven games the Canucks have hosted the Coyotes.

The combination of North Carolina star QB Drake Maye and Clemson being eliminated from the College Football Playoffs helps put me on the underdog Tar Heels. 
South Carolina nipped Clemson, 31-30, as a two-touchdown road 'dog last week ending any Tigers' national title hopes. So this ACC championship game means far less to the Tigers now. 

North Carolina isn't going to be involved in the College Football Playoffs either, but the Tar Heels knew that. They've been pointing to this matchup for weeks knowing they had qualified for this title game. I think that factored in the Tar Heels not playing well in their last two games, upset losses to Georgia Tech and NC State after having won nine of their first 10 games. There was no incentive for them. There will here. 

There's a huge gap in quarterbacks. Clemson's D.J. Uiagalelei has been a major disappointment never adequately replacing Trevor Lawrence. Maye, on the other hand, has put up superstar numbers - 3,847 passing yards and 35 TD passes along with six rushing TD's. He leads the nation in total offense with 4,476 yards. Uiagalelei was terrible last season and he has been inconsistent this season even getting benched in spots. 

Notre Dame defeated Clemson by 21 points. North Carolina fell to the Irish by 13 points. That was the Tar Heels' only defeat of more than four points. 

When is playing in the Big Ten title game a letdown? The answer is when you're Michigan and you just defeated previously undefeated Ohio State in Columbus last week, 45-23.

Beating the Buckeyes is the highlight of the Wolverines' season. It's going to be difficult for Michigan to turn around a week later and cover this large of a number against a feisty Purdue team that has nothing to lose. 

Purdue has a winning record in 13 games the past five years taking on ranked foes. The Boilermakers catch a huge break that the Wolverines will be without their star running back Blake Corum, who is out with a knee injury. 

Defending national champion Georgia had a defense for the ages last season. Their defense isn't too shabby this season either.

The Bulldogs give up the fewest points in the country at 11.3. No team has scored more than 22 points in a game against the Bulldogs. Georgia also ranks No. 1 against the run and fourth in total defense.

LSU's defense is very respectful. The Tigers rank 33rd in total defense and scoring defense.

The Tigers held seven of their opponents to 20 points or less.

LSU held Arkansas to 13 points, which is 17.7 points under its average. The Tigers gave up just 10 points to Alabama-Birmingham, which was 20.6 points under the Blazers' average. LSU held Mississippi to 20 points, which was 14.2 points below its average. Mississippi State could manage just 16 points versus the Tigers, which was 22 points under its average. Florida State scored 24 points against the Tigers. That was 12.2 points under the Seminoles' average. 

This total is short considering how bad these two defenses are in what shapes up to be an up-tempo matchup. 

Northern Illinois is stepping way down in defensive class after playing Northwestern, Georgia Tech and Sam Houston. It's a red flag defensively for the Huskies that they surrendered 83 points to Illinois Springfield, a non-division team.

Idaho has gone Over in 10 of its last 13 home games. It's easy to see why given how bad its defense is. The Vandals rank fifth-from-the-bottom in defensive efficiency. They are giving up an average of 81.5 points in their last three games playing Utah Tech, Cal Poly and Pacific.  

It's easy to think offense when handicapping the Nets because of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But Brooklyn isn't a good shooting team. The Nets rank 19th in scoring. What the Nets are good at is defensive field goal percentage where they rank first.

Brooklyn has held its last three opponents to an average of 102 points. That puny average is what the Raptors are averaging during their past four games, 102.7.

The Raptors had held their opposition to 112 points or fewer in regulation in six straight games until giving up 126 to the Pelicans two days ago in an 18-point loss. Toronto coach Nick Nurse ripped his team's defensive effort following that game.

So I'm expecting a much better defensive performance from the Raptors in this game.

The team's have met twice this season. There were 214 combined points in the Nets' 109-105 home win against the Raptors on Oct. 21 and 210 combined points produced in the Nets' 112-98 road win against Toronto on Nov. 23.

The Kings hosted the Kraken two days ago. LA scored eight goals - and lost! Seattle's 9-8 overtime victory was the highest-scoring game of the season. 

So how did the Kings react? They called off Wednesday's practice. Didn't have media availability and cut goalie Cal Petersen, who was in the first season of a three-year, $15 million contract. 

I have to believe the Kings are primed to play the defensive game of their lives today. LA had given up an average of 3.3 goals per game during their previous three games before its insane game against Seattle. 

The Kings draw the nomadic Coyotes, who are in the 11th game of an NHL-record tying 14-game road trip. The Coyotes rank 26th in scoring, get off the fewest shots on net and have been idle since Sunday. The Coyotes figure to be out of rhythm and rusty. Their last three games had been spaced two days apart before this extended time off. The Under is 10-4 in Arizona's last 14 games. 

Spot means a lot in the NBA. This is a good spot for the Pistons. 

Yes those 5-18 rebuilding Pistons, who are minus their top player, Cade Cunningham. He's out with a shin injury.

The Mavericks are off perhaps their most satisfying victory of the season beating the defending world champion Warriors at home on national TV two days ago, 116-113. It was the Warriors who eliminated Dallas in the Western Conference Finals last season. 

After this game, the Mavericks travel to New York to play the Knicks on Saturday. It's a huge revenge spot for the Mavericks. The Knicks embarrassed the Mavericks, beating them by 30 points in Dallas this past March. 

So this game not only is a letdown situation for the Mavericks, but a look-ahead spot, too, for them. I don't expect Dallas to bring its ''A'' game. 
This is the Pistons' third of a four-game homestand. They are 0-2 so far on the homestand with an eight-point loss to the Cavaliers and a 30-point beatdown loss to the Knicks in their last game this past Tuesday. Detroit coach Dwane Casey challenged his team after that loss to the Knicks calling out his players for soft defense and not showing any fight.

Expect the Pistons to go all-out in this one. Detroit has been banged up, but got back underrated Isaiah Stewart against the Knicks. Stewart put up 19 points versus New York. Stewart is the Pistons' top rebounder. 

Still unconvinced? OK, how about this: Despite their 5-18 record, the Pistons have a winning point spread mark. Dallas doesn't. The Mavericks are 5-14-1 (26 percent) ATS. Dallas is 1-10-1 ATS the past 12 times after scoring 100 points or more in its previous game. 

The Mavericks also have lost and failed to cover during their last five road games. They are 1-7 away from home with that lone victory occurring in overtime against the Nets in  October. 

The Rangers are much superior to the Senators. Yet the line is short here because the Rangers have lost three in a row, while the Senators have won consecutive games.

I see the Rangers turning things around against this opponent.

New York lost 5-3 to the streaking Devils this past Monday. New Jersey is the hottest team in the NHL winning 19 of its last 21 games. The Rangers went into their matchup against the Devils having lost 4-3 to the Oilers and 3-2 to the Ducks. The Rangers blew a 3-0 third period lead against the Oilers.

Rangers star goalie Igor Shesterkin wasn't happy with his performance against the Devils. He's primed for a bounce back effort. The Rangers should be able to release their frustrations against an Ottawa club that ranks 23rd defensively and had lost 11 of 13 games before beating the Ducks and posting an overtime victory against the Kings.

This is the Senators' first home game since returning from a four-game West Coast trip that finished this past Sunday. Ottawa is 1-6 in its last seven home games.

Both teams average only 2.5 goals a game. They rank 29th and 30th in scoring. 

The Under has cashed in seven of the Ducks' last nine games. This matchup has the makings of another Under. 

Nashville hasn't played in six days. That's because two of its games were postponed because of a water break that flooded Bridgestone Arena causing postponement of two games. 

That's too long of a break without playing. The Predators have been held to fewer than four goals in six of their last eight games. 

The Ducks have managed only five goals in their last three road games. They averaged just two goals a game in three games against Nashville last season. Anaheim is facing a hot goalie, too, in Juuse Saros. Not only are the Ducks 30th in scoring, but they are last in power play goal percentage. 

The Mavericks have been pointing to this marquee nationally-televised home matchup for a long time. It was Golden State who ended Dallas' season last year beating the Mavericks in five games during the Western Conference Finals. 

The Mavericks committed fewer turnovers than the Warriors during that series, but were done in by cold shooting. 

The Warriors' 27th-ranked defense has regressed very much since then especially on the road. Golden State is 2-9 SU and ATS away from home this season with its only road victories coming against the Rockets and Timberwolves. 

Dallas is on a four-game losing streak. But those losses have come to good teams losing to the Nuggets and then the last three on the road to the Celtics, Raptors and Bucks. 

Now the Mavericks are back home where they have covered seven of the last 10 times when hosting the Warriors.

VMI isn't a great team by any stretch. But the Keydets average 77.3 points and should not be an underdog to Presbyterian.

Presbyterian, losers of six in a row, could be the worst shooting team in the country. The Blue Hose only average 60.6 points. They are shooting 38.1 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from 3-point range. They lack size, too, and are terrible from the free throw line at 62.7 percent. 

I think the oddsmaker is way off making the Blue Hose a favorite especially in this mid-size price range. 

Since firing Frank Reich, the Colts are 1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS upsetting the Raiders on the road and losing to the Eagles by one point at home. The controversial hiring of Jeff Saturday has looked good so far. The players have responded to him.

The most disappointing part of the Colts' season has been their offensive line. If there' one thing Saturday, the long-time former Pro Bowl center for the Colts, knows something about it's an offensive line. He can get it fixed because there is talent there. There is also skill position talent. Jonathan Taylor is back healthy. He's rushed for 231 yards in his last two games.

Matt Ryan is a level higher than rookie Kenny Pickett right now. Pickett has thrown three TD passes and been picked off eight times. He's been sacked 14 times in his last three games.

The Steelers are 3-7 and have lost four straight road games. They entered this week ranked 26th in scoring defense allowing 24.4 points a game. The Colts have the better record and their defense entered the week giving up the 11th fewest points per game at 20. Indianapolis ranked fifth in pass defense. The Colts give up 5.0 yards per play and 307.6 yards per game compared to the Steelers allowing 5.8 yards per play and 375.5 yards a game.

Pittsburgh went into this week ranked 29th in scoring offense, averaging just 16.3 points a game. The Steelers won't have their second-best running back, Jaylen Warren. He's out with a hamstring injury.

Both teams should be highly motivated playing on national TV. But the Steelers' 37-30 home loss to the Bengals last week realistically ended any playoff hope. They are looking at their first losing season under Mike Tomlin. They should be in rebuild mode now.

The Colts have some momentum with the coaching switch to Saturday. They are just two games back in the loss column in the AFC South Division.

The bar is not set high here asking the Colts to win by a field goal.

These two teams have gone Under during their last five meetings. I could see that happening again especially given the scheduling dynamics.

The Stars are playing for the fourth time in six days and third time in four days. The Blues also are in action for the fourth time in six days - all at a different venue. This also is the Blues' third game in four days.

So I'm not expecting a fast-skating up-tempo game.

The Stars could manage only one goal against the Avalanche this past Saturday. The Blues had scored just once with less than 12 minutes left against the Panthers this past Saturday before exploding to pull out a 5-4 overtime victory. I don't see the cautious Stars, who have a top 12 defense, letting the Blues go off like that.

St. Louis has given up just three goals in its last two home games. The Under has cashed seven of the past eight times the Blues have hosted the Stars.

The Celtics may be in letdown mode after beating the Wizards, 130-121, on Sunday despite not having Jason Tatum, who sat out with an ankle injury. Tatum is day-to-day. Boston might not be as intense playing for the second consecutive day and in action for the fourth time in six days hosting a lowly non-division opponent.

The Hornets have been idle since Friday. Charlotte has been playing well, growing as the season progresses.

The Hornets are 3-3 in their last six games, 4-1-1 ATS. Two of their losses during this span occurred on the road to the Wizards by four points and at the Cavaliers in overtime.

Charlotte has a good long-term road ATS track record. I'll back the Hornets getting double-digits.

It's last stand time now for the Packers. So you know Green Bay is going to give everything here. The Eagles can take a defeat. The Packers can not. 
Philadelphia hasn't played well the last two weeks losing at home to the Commanders and nipping the Colts by one point. The Eagles are 9-1. They are solid more than dominant, however. The only above average teams the Eagles have met were the Cowboys and Vikings. 

It's easy to forget, but just two weeks ago the Packers came back from two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to upset the Cowboys. A loss last Thursday to the Titans erased much of that big win. The Titans happen to be 7-1 in their last eight games with the lone defeat during this span occurring to the Chiefs in overtime. 

Aaron Rodgers isn't having that bad of a season. He's in the top-six in touchdown passes, passing yards and completions. Rookie Christian Watson has come on to score five touchdowns in the last two games giving Rodgers a much needed deep threat. 

The Eagles' offense isn't as potent minus injured tight end Dallas Goedert. The Packers' defense is way overdue to step up. This is their chance. 

Jimmy Garoppolo is becoming dangerous. It's easy to see why when he has a good offensive line and skill position players Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk to surround him. The 49ers are averaging 30.3 points in their last three games.

The Saints have been without their best cornerback, Marhson Lattimore, and two best defensive linemen, Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport. New Orleans is surrendering an average of 28.7 points in its last seven games if you discount a freakish shutout of the Raiders.

I don't see the Saints stopping the 49ers. The Saints should be able to contribute their share of points, too. Andy Dalton is off his best game of the season completing 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards and three TD's against the Rams last week.

Justin Herbert is back on track and has most of his weapons back. Kyler Murray is ready to go after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. He has Deandre Hopkins and could have Marquise Brown. Also back for the Cardinals is James Conner, their best running back. Conner is a touchdown machine with 22 TD's in his last 23 games.

Neither defense is any good.

So this total is too low because it's not fully accounting for these factors.

The Chargers allow 25.8 points a game. That ranks 29th. They rank 30th in run defense and 25th in defensive total yards. The Cardinals' attack is far more dynamic with Murray instead of short-armed game manager Colt McCoy.

The Cardinals just surrendered four touchdowns to the 49ers. They are on a short week after playing in high altitude this past Monday in Mexico City. The Cardinals entered this week ranked tied for second-to-last in scoring defense allowing 26.9 points a game.

The Bucs enter this matchup at their most healthy and fresh off a bye. The Browns were hoping to hang on until Deshaun Watson could take over. But that didn't happen. Cleveland is 3-7 with six losses in its last seven games.

Morale is bad with the Browns. So is their defense, which ranks tied for 31st giving up 26.9 points a game. Tom Brady has the passing attack to take advantage along with an upgraded ground attack thanks to more usage from outside threat Rachaad White, who is now properly factored into Tampa Bay's offense.

Tampa Bay has a top-six defense and its offense that has the second-fewest turnovers. Cleveland has only eight takeaways, which ranks 29th. The Buccaneers held Seattle's star rookie running back Kenneth Walker to 17 yards on 10 carries two weeks ago in their last game. Walker had averaged 102 yards rushing during his past five games.

This doesn't bode well for Nick Chubb, who the Browns heavily rely upon. The Buccaneers are going to be tough to run against with the Browns losing emerging center Ethan Pocic to a knee injury.

It's a nice bonus for the Jets if Justin Fields can't make the start for the Bears. That would force the Bears to start Trevor Siemian, a career journeyman and noted stiff.

But even if the dynamic Fields plays, I like the Jets to beat the Bears by more than a touchdown now that they've made the quarterback switch from ineffective, morale-killer Zach Wilson to Mike White.

The Jets have close to a Super Bowl-caliber defense. But Wilson has held New York's offense hostage with his inaccuracies, lack of big plays and interceptions. The Jets have good receiving weapons, especially with Corey Davis expected back to join Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims.

White has proven himself. Just ask the Bengals. White threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in his first start last season leading the Jets to a 34-31 win against the AFC champion Bengals.

The bar is much lower against a Bears defense that has surrendered an average of 35.5 points in their last four games.

As well as Fields has played recently, it hasn't translated to victories because of the Bears' porous defense. Chicago is 1-6 in its last seven games, losers of four in a row.

I wouldn't try to buck this total - even though it's low by today's NFL offensive-driven standards - if the quarterback matchup was going to be Trevor Siemian versus Zack Wilson. But it's not.

There's a chance Justin Fields plays and Wilson definitely won't start, replaced by Mike White, who threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns against the Bengals in his first start last year.

Fields has accounted for 14 touchdowns in his last four games. The Bears are averaging 29.6 points during their past five games. The Bears' first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has gotten more comfortable in directing a more aggressive Chicago offense. Even if Siemian gets the call, the Bears' passing attack has improved. Siemian is a veteran, who might be a more accurate passer than Fields.

The Jets' defense isn't expected to have defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. That would be a boost to David Montgomery.

The key here, though, is the Jets' offense should be energized with the quarterback switch away from the egregious Wilson. The Bears' defense has become dreadful after dealing away their best defender, linebacker Roquan Smith. Chicago has allowed 20 or more points in eight of its last 10 games. In their last four games, the Bears have permitted 27, 31, 35 and 49 points.

The Dolphins went into their bye last week off an impressive 39-17 victory against the Browns. But in their previous six games, the Dolphins lost to the Bengals, Jets and Vikings and beat the Steelers by 6, Lions by 4 and Bears by 3. So I find this spread to be inflated.

Yes, the Dolphins are good this season. But they have flaws. They are not a great team that can cover two touchdowns. Great teams don't squeeze past the Steelers, Lions and Bears by a combined winning margin of 4.3 points.

Miami might not have Raheem Mostert and their kicking game could be in trouble. Jason Sanders ranks fourth-from-the-bottom in field goal percentage accuracy and punter Thomas Morstead has been dealing with illness.

The Texans should get a boost with a quarterback switch from David Mills to Kyle Allen. Mills has been terrible on the road. Allen is a career backup, but he might provide a spark here. He has Dameon Pierce to rely upon. Pierce leads all rookie running backs with 780 yards rushing and 915 scrimmage yards.

I don't get this short number. These teams have met twice already within the last six days. The Lakers blasted the Spurs, 123-9, at home without LeBron James and then beat the Spurs again this time on the road last night, 105-94. 

James played in last night's game and committed a season-high nine turnovers. He'll be less rusty here. 

The Lakers started slow. But they are coming on now, going 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five games. The lone defeat during this span was to the Suns. 

The Spurs are a strong fade right now. They are 1-12 in their last 13 games and have lost seven in a row. San Antonio ranks last in all the major defensive categories. 

Maybe the Spurs get right here. That could be a stretch. The Lakers have proven themselves the superior team. So I'll lay this short number. 

UNLV's season began highly promising with the Rebels going 4-1. But the Rebels won't be going bowling having lost their past six games, including their last one as an 11-point road favorite against Hawaii. 

Nevada-Reno blew out the Rebels, 51-20, in last year's annual rivalry game at home. This one is at UNLV. The Wolf Pack have gone through a rebuilding season. They aren't good. But this has been an underdog series with the 'dog winning six of the last nine times straight-up. Nevada always gets up for this game more than the Rebels. 

UNLV may win based on a superior ground attack, but Nevada will be giving an all-out effort and should stay within double-digits. The Rebels just aren't strong enough to lay this high of a number. 

Iowa State has gone Under in its last seven Big 12 Conference games. It's easy to see why. The Cyclones have the top defense in the league, but the worst offense. 

The Cyclones aren't going bowling for the first time since 2016. So playing unbeaten fourth-ranked TCU is their bowl game. Look for Iowa State to play its usual tough defensive, field-position type of game especially being on the road. The Under is 21-8-1 in the Cyclones' last 30 road contests.

TCU already has its ticket punched for the Big 12 title game next week. The Horned Frogs don't want to show too much in this game so as not to tip their hand. They would be satisfied with a victory, not running up a huge score. 

This is a monster rivalry game. The question is can Auburn can hang within three touchdowns of the Crimson Tide?

Before this month, I would have said no. Now I say yes seeing how the Tigers have performed under interim coach Carnell Williams. 

Williams starred at Auburn before going on to the NFL playing for the Buccaneers. He has reignited a Tigers program that was dead earlier this season. Auburn is 3-0 ATS since Williams took over losing to Mississippi State in overtime as a 12 1/2-point road 'dog, edging Texas A&M and rolling past Western Kentucky. 

I trust the Tigers to play hard again for Williams especially in this matchup.

Great expectations were expected of Alabama this season, but the Crimson Tide have been overrated with losses to Tennessee and LSU. They are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.

Note a very early start time here. It's important in fading the Rangers in this spot.

The Rangers just concluded a four-game West Coast trip late Wednesday night. So they had to fly cross country on Thanksgiving. This will be their third game in five days. It's almost like playing a fourth game in five days, though, because of the early start time.

The Oilers won't be bothered by this. They've been in New York the past few days. They last played at the Islanders on Wednesday.

The Rangers are 2-6 in their last eight home games. The Oilers have defeated the Rangers in five of the past six meetings. The Oilers have a winning road mark.

You can't go wrong taking the Under when Marshall is involved. The Thundering Herd has gone Under in nine of its 11 games. Marshall has a top-10 defense, a weak passing attack and runs the ball a lot. That's a winning Under combination.

Georgia State can't pass either. The Panthers rank 107th in passing. Marshall is hardly any better, rating 104th in passing. 

Marshall is holding foes to 15.5 points a game. Georgia State's defense isn't very good, but it is opportunistic coming up with 13 takeaways, which ranks 15th in the nation. 

The oddsmaker has opened this total too high. There haven't been more than 49 points scored in any of Marshall's past eight games. This one shouldn't be any different.

Note, too, that the early weather forecast is for a 50 percent chance of rain with 10-to-15 mph winds. 

The buy sign is on these two offenses.

Spencer Rattler finally lived up to his big reputation last week for South Carolina. The Oklahoma transfer passed for 438 yards and six touchdowns in the Gamecocks' 63-38 win against Tennessee.

The Over has cashed in 11 of South Carolina's last 14 road games.

Clemson's attack is in gear, too. The Tigers have produced a combined 71 points in their last two games crushing Miami and Louisville.

The Cavaliers come into Milwaukee fat and happy after celebrating Thanksgiving having swept their four-game homestand. They'll find an angry Bucks team awaiting them.

Milwaukee is 9-2 at home this season. However, one of its losses just occurred to the Bulls on Wednesday, 118-113.

The Bucks buried the Cavaliers, 113-98, when the teams last met nine days ago in Milwaukee. That was the seventh time in the last nine tries the Bucks have covered against the Cavaliers at home.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the league averaging 30.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists. The Bucks get back Wesley Matthews, too, to boost their rotation.

The Lakers are playing better and have a great opportunity to win their first road game here, likely getting back LeBron James and taking on the pathetic Spurs.

San Antonio is young and bad, losers of 11 of its last 12 games. The Spurs rank last in scoring defense, defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense. The Lakers certainly have the scorers to take advantage.

The Lakers just blasted the Spurs, 123-92, at home this past Sunday. And that was without James.

LA had won three in a row until falling to the Suns, 115-105, on the road three days ago. Time for the Lakers to begin a new win streak. They couldn't ask for an easier opponent.

The Rockets haven't played since Sunday. Not only will be they be rested, but the extra practice time should come in handy for such a young, developing team.

So Atlanta could get ambushed here. The Hawks just ended the Kings' seven-game win streak with a 115-106 home win two days ago. The Hawks are 2-9 ATS after covering in their previous game.

Atlanta is not a good shooting team especially from beyond the arch, ranking 27th in 3-point shooting.

The Rockets rank 11th in 3-point defense. They will make the Hawks earn their points in what should be a back-and-forth closer game than what the oddsmaker thinks.

The teams just met two weeks ago and the Islanders beat the Blue Jackets, 4-3, in overtime. There were 75 shots on goal in that game with 46 coming from the Islanders.

I'm expecting at least seven goals to be scored in this matchup, too.

The Islanders have scored 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 15 games. The Blue Jackets have given up at least 3 goals in 11 of their past 12 games, allowing 4 or more goals in nine of those games.

New York goalie Ilya Sorokin could face fatigue issues having made 79 saves during the last two game, which were played this Monday and Wednesday.

Missouri is tough at home going 4-2 with the losses coming to Georgia and Kentucky by four points each. That's the closest any team has come to beating undefeated Georgia this season.

The Tigers can secure bowl eligibility with a victory. It's also a revenge spot for the Tigers. Arkansas won last year's game, 34-17. Previous to that, though, the Tigers had won five in a row in the series.  

Arkansas gained its bowl eligibility last week upsetting Mississippi, 42-27. The Razorbacks could suffer a letdown after that great win. This is just Arkansas' fourth true road game. The Razorbacks could be minus their second-leading tackler, linebacker Bumper Pool. He's dealing with hip and back injuries. 

If you're impressed with the Vikings' 8-2 record don't be. Minnesota has a losing point spread record and has been outscored on the season.

The Vikings were exposed at home by the Cowboys, 40-3, last Sunday. Minnesota lost its best offensive lineman, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, in the second quarter of the game due to a concussion. The Cowboys recorded seven sacks on 30 Minnesota dropbacks.

The Patriots have a dominant defense, too, ranking No. 2 in giving up the fewest points per game at 16.9. New England ranks No. 2 to Dallas in sacks with 36. Matthew Judon leads the NFL with 13 sacks. Kirk Cousins lacks mobility. He's going to have trouble against New England's pressure, well-coached defense.

New England has a pair of good running backs and receiving depth. The Patriots produced nearly 300 yards of offense against a much superior Jets defense last week in cold weather. Now the Patriots are in a dome facing a banged-up Minnesota secondary.

T.J. Otzenberger turned Iowa State into one of the best defensive teams in the country last season with the Cyclones giving up 63 points a game and finishing in the top-five in overall adjusted defense, according to KenPom ratings. 

Guess what? The Cyclones are showing definite signs of being even better defensively this season.

Iowa State has held its first three opponents to an average of 45 points a game, best in the nation. 

The combination of Villanova's slow pace, Iowa State's great defense and this game being played in neutral site Portland, Ore., should mean another Under.

The Wildcats are trying to rebuild their offense having lost key playmakers Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels. Villanova is playing at a slow, deliberate pace. The Wildcats don't have to worry too much about Iowa State heating up from 3-point range. The Cyclones rank 339th in 3-point shooting. 

Meeting on a neutral court is another plus for the Under. Iowa State has gone Under in its last five neutral site games. Villanova has gone Under in eight of its last 10 neutral site matchups. 

Josh Allen and Co. won't have an easier defense to go against all season than Detroit. The Lions give up the most yards and points per game in the NFL. They also are likely to be minus their best defensive backfield player in cornerback Jeff Okudah, who is in concussion protocol. 

The Bills just played at Ford Field this past Sunday when their game was moved from Buffalo to Detroit. A fast track makes the Bills' up-tempo offense even more potent. 

The Lions have won three in a row beating the Giants, Bears and Packers. The Bills are a huge step up for them. Buffalo is overdue to play better after not producing an "A'' level game during the last four weeks since beating the Chiefs. 

Detroit hasn't won on Thanksgiving since 2016 when Jim Caldwell was its coach. Don't look for the Lions to end that streak here. 

The Ducks are a low-scoring team once again. They have produced just six goals in regulation during their last 10 games, an average of 1.6 goals during this span.

This is the Ducks' first game back from three games on the road - all losses. They should be primed for a big effort and that means tight-checking and defensive intensity.

The Rangers are back to winning. They beat the Kings, 5-3, at LA last night for their second straight victory. I don't see the Rangers being up-tempo playing without rest. The Under is 12-5 in their last 17 road games. The Under also has cashed the last five times when the Rangers have scored 5 or more goals in their past game.

There's the possibility the Rangers start backup Jaroslav Halak in net instead of star Igor Shesterkin. I'm fine if that happens. The Rangers would be more defensive-oriented and take less chances if Halak were in goal. Halak has given up two goals in regulation during each of his last two starts facing the Predators and Red Wings.

Michigan barely escaped Ohio at home in its last game, winning in overtime this past Sunday as a 14 1/2-point home favorite. 

Now the Wolverines are laying a big number against Jackson State, who has two very good players and plays in the underrated Southwestern Athletic Conference. I find this number to be too large so I'm on the underdog Tigers. 

Jackson State is 0-3 with losses to Abilene Christian, Tulsa and Little Rock by an average of six points. The Tigers are just two years removed from dominating the SWAC. Now they are rebuilding under first year head coach Mo Williams, a former NBA All-Star. Williams has two excellent players to build around in Ken Evans and Trace Young, who transferred from Wyoming. Jackson State is averaging 75.3 points a game. 

Michigan could have fewer fans than normal for this home contest due to Thanksgiving break. The Wolverines' focus may be off, too. 

Surprised at this line? Don't be this spot sets up well for the Hornets.

The 76ers are without their three best players, Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. Yet they still beat the Nets, 115-106, last night in an emotional game. 

Now the 76ers have to turn around and play the Hornets, who are desperate for a victory and have gotten healthier. Charlotte is rested and ready having last played on Sunday. 

The 76ers are 6-15-1 ATS in their last 22 road games and 1-10 ATS versus opponents with a below .400 winning percentage. 

Kudos for Louisiana Lafayette getting off to a 4-0 start. The Ragin' Cajuns, though, have played an easy schedule and all of their games have been either home, or on a neutral court.

I don't see the Ragin' Cajuns pulling a road upset against SMU. The Mustangs have won 40 of 46 games at Moody Coliseum during the past four seasons. They are 20-2 (91 percent) in home non-conference games during this stretch.

SMU is getting scoring from Zhuric Phelps and rebounding from Efe Odigie, who leads the AAC in rebounding.

The oddsmaker has yet to effectively price SMU. They've underestimated the Mustangs in this spot while overrating Lafayette.

If it wasn't for an overtime road loss to the Lightning, the Stars would be on a four-game win streak.

Dallas will have Jake Oettinger in net and catch the Avalanche fat and happy along with being severely short-handed while playing their third road game in five days.

Despite missing numerous key players, the Avalanche are 2-0 on their three-game road trip getting past Carolina in overtime and shutting out Washington this past Saturday night. Those two foes outshot the Avalanche by a combined 36 shots.

Colorado won't be able to get away with that against the Stars in Dallas. The two teams meet again on Saturday night in Denver. That figures to be a better spot for the Avalanche.

These teams went crazy when they met eight days ago. The Thunder won, 145-135. The Knicks hadn't allowed that many points in regulation since 2006.

So you have to believe the Knicks will be much more intense defensively. They also likely will be slowing the ball down carrying a heavy fatigue factor playing their fifth road in seven days. This has taken a toll on the Knicks' scoring. New York's point production has gone down each of the last three games from 106 to 101 to 95 points.

New York has allowed an average of 110.2 points in its last four games following that loss to Oklahoma City. The Knicks rank fifth in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage.

The Thunder enter this matchup having not played at home in 10 days and with their rotation shaken by injuries.

I can see each of these teams reaching at least three goals. The Islanders have done this 10 times in their last 13 games. Toronto has scored three or more goals in seven of its last 10 games.

The Maple Leafs have been getting away with committing too many penalties and are expected to have Eric Kallgren in net. He's the least effective of their three goalies.

The Over is 10-3-1 the last 14 times these teams have played in Toronto.

Central Michigan went 7-23 last season under its first-year coach Tony Barbee. The Chippewas aren't going to be very good this year either. A lone victory against Eastern Illinois is not impressive.

High Point has one of the best scorers in the nation, Jaden House. He's averaging 22.8 points. High Point is the ninth-highest scoring team in the nation. The Panthers have too much firepower for Central Michigan.

The Chargers nearly upset the Chiefs back in Week 2. If it weren't for a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown, the Chargers just might have done it before losing, 27-24.

Fast forward nine weeks later. The Chiefs are the best team in the AFC. The Chargers are mediocre, heavily weakened by key injuries especially on offense where their best offensive lineman and two top wide receivers have been out.

This, along with a rib injury, has greatly reduced the effectiveness of Justin Herbert. He has just eight TD passes with five interceptions in his last seven games. Herbert doesn't have the weapons to keep up with sizzling Patrick Mahomes, who has emerged as the MVP frontrunner with 17 TD passes in his last six games. Kansas City is averaging an NFC-best 30 points per game.

The Chargers' five victories have been against the Raiders, Texans, Browns, Broncos in overtime and Falcons. Those teams are a combined 13-32-1.

The Chargers have little home field in the crowded LA sports market. They are 0-3 ATS during their past three home games with two of those defeats occurring to the Jaguars, 38-10, and 37-23 to the Seahawks.

The last time an 8-1 team was a home underdog was 1976. But that's the case here with the Vikings. Yet I say Dallas deserves to be favored.

The spot sets up well for the Cowboys and the Vikings are not nearly the dominant team that their 8-1 record may indicate.

The Vikings have a losing ATS mark, rank fourth-from-the-bottom in defensive total yards and have a banged-up vulnerable secondary. They also could be without their offensive left tackle, Christian Darrisaw. That could loom large as the Cowboys lead the NFL with 35 sacks.

The NFC North is so weak the Vikings have a chance to clinch the division before December. So there is no urgency for the Vikings here unlike the Cowboys, who are off a blown two-touchdown fourth quarter lead against the Packers.

The Vikings still are on Cloud 9 after their near-miracle 33-30 road victory against the Bills last Sunday in what had to be the most insane game of the season. Minnesota rallied from a 27-10 second-half deficit.

Dallas beat the Vikings at Minnesota last season behind backup QB Cooper Rush. Dak Prescott is back now. The Vikings could be down two of their three best cornerbacks.

The Cowboys have covered 10 of their last 13 road games going 5-1 ATS when favored in those matchups.

It may seem surprising the Cowboys are road chalk against 8-1 Minnesota, but it's completely justified and the right side.

The Bengals and Joe Burrow were extremely rusty opening week when they met the Steelers. The Bengals lost the turnover battle, 5-0. Yet it took the end of overtime for the Steelers to pull off a 3-point victory and only because Evan McPherson missed an extra point near the end of regulation and a chip shot field goal in overtime because the Bengals had lost their long snapper to an injury during the game.

Now the Bengals enter the rematch rested off their bye and in revenge mode.

Burrow has gotten better pass protection since that Week 1 matchup. The result is Cincinnati is 5-2 in its last seven games.

Ja'Marr Chase remains out. Burrow still, though, has enough weapons and the Bengals get back stud defensive lineman D.J. Reader, who has been out since Week 3 with a knee injury. He's the Bengals' top run defender. That's huge because rookie Kenny Pickett needs a ground game to set up his passing.

Pickett is an overmatched rookie, who has a 2-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio and been sacked way too many times.

Here are three major reasons why I like the Rams here: 1. Coaching mismatch. Sean McVay versus Dennis Allen, who isn't qualified to be a head coach. 2. Quarterback mismatch. Matthew Stafford is miles ahead of Andy Dalton even without Cooper Kupp. 3. Aaron Donald getting to play Godzilla against a battered Saints offensive line likely to be without three starters. 

The Saints are 1-4 in their last five games. Their defense is down their best cornerback, Marshon Lattimore, their top pass rusher, Cameron Jordan, and their most active linebacker, Pete Werner. 

The Rams have a battered offensive line, too. But McVay is sharp enough to effectively game plan having Stafford to take advantage of the Saints' key injuries. 

The Saints continue to trot out Dalton, who always has been mistake-prone but is even worse now that he's on the downside of his career. New Orleans has the worst turnover differential in the NFL at minus 12. 

It's taken only two years, but Robert Saleh has built a strong Jets defense. New York is giving up just 15.8 points per game during its last six games.

The Jets just held the powerful Bills to 17 points in their last game two weeks ago. They certainly are capable of holding the Patriots' pop-gun attack to 17 points or fewer, too.

Defenses should dominate this matchup. Both teams are coached by defensive gurus and have had two weeks to prepare. Each team has an inexperienced, game-manager for a quarterback.

The Jets sacked Mac Jones six times in the first meeting. They held New England to 3.8 yards a play and 288 total yards of offense. The Jets' defensive line holds a huge edge against the Patriots' mediocre-to-bad offensive line.

Bill Belichick has been dominating inexperienced quarterbacks such as Zach Wilson for a long time. The Patriots picked off Wilson three times in their victory two games ago. The Patriots feature the NFL's sack leader, Matt Judon. He has 11 1/2 sacks.

The weather could work against these offenses, too, with the forecast being for temperatures in the 30's with wind in the 15-17 mph range. That should ensure plenty of running plays.

UNLV isn't playing as well as it did in September and doesn't deserve to be this high of a road favorite against Hawaii. The Rebels have lost four games in a row. They are 1-4 on the road this season.

Going to Hawaii is a unique trip because it involves a long flight and a two-hour time zone difference, not to mention a completely different atmosphere.

Hawaii has covered five of its last six games. Only once during their last seven games have the Rainbow Warriors been beaten by more than seven points. They are stepping down in class, too, having faced Utah State, Fresno State and Wyoming in their past three games.

Alabama-Birmingham has the right ingredients to spring a major upset here. The Blazers have a good defense, a strong ground attack led by talented DeWayne McBride and catch LSU in a letdown and look-ahead spot.

UAB gives up 21.3 points and ranks 29th in total defense with the 15th-best pass defense. Western Kentucky, which ranks fourth in passing yards, could manage just 128 yards through the air at home against the Blazers.

Only five teams average more running yards per game than UAB. McBride averages nearly seven yards a carry. The Blazers can control the clock by successfully running the ball.

LSU has already clinched its ticket to the SEC championship game against Georgia.

Mississippi's hopes of winning the SEC West Division ended last week with a narrow loss to Alabama. Following this game, the Rebels meet in-state conference rival Mississippi State in their annual Egg Bowl game. So it's a difficult situational spot for the Rebels going on the road to face Arkansas.

The 5-5 Razorbacks have all kinds of incentive. Not only do they have revenge for a wild 52-51 loss last year to Mississippi State, but they need a sixth win to be bowl eligible. Ole Miss has failed to cover during its last four visits to Arkansas.

Arkansas held LSU to 284 total yards in a 13-10 home loss last week. Now the Razorbacks get back QB KJ Jefferson, who didn't play against LSU. Jefferson is back for this game giving the Razorbacks a dynamic dual threat quarterback weapon. Jefferson has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,981 yards with a 17-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He's also rushed for 425 yards with six TD's on the ground.

Great job this season by Jim Mora getting Connecticut up to six wins, which makes the Huskies bowl eligible for the first time in seven years. The Huskies reached this point by upsetting previously 19th-ranked Liberty, 36-33, as 13 1/2-point home 'dogs this past Saturday.

Connecticut isn't nearly talented enough to cover spreads if it's not playing at a high level. The Huskies could have trouble doing that in an obvious letdown spot.

But it's not just the letdown factor. The Huskies are going to have plenty of problems with Army's triple-option attack. The Black Knights are No. 2 in the country in rushing averaging nearly 300 yards on the ground per game. Connecticut is 73rd in run defense, but even its below average run defense statistics are skewed because of playing passing teams early in the season.

The Huskies don't have the offense to cover for a bad defense. They have failed to break the 21-point barrier in seven of their 11 games. They rank 125th in total yards and 112th in scoring.

Army blasted the Huskies, 52-21, last season. Sure the Huskies are much improved, but given the spot I don't see them staying within single digits.

Florida State is peaking at the right time. The Seminoles have won their last three games - against Syracuse, Miami and Georgia Tech - by an average score of 41-7. Don't expect Louisiana Lafayette to fare any better.

This isn't the Ragin' Cajuns of past years unders Billy Napier, who is at Florida now. Lafayette is coming off a home win against Georgia Southern and finishes back in the Sun Belt Conference against Texas State. If the Ragin Cajuns beat 3-7 Texas State they would become bowl eligible. So this non-conference game doesn't mean much. Lafayette has suffered three road defeats.

The last time they were on the road, the Ragin' Cajuns permitted 39 points to Southern Mississippi in a 15-point loss. That was the most points Southern Mississippi has scored all season against a Division I opponent. That does bode well for Lafayette against the Seminoles' high-caliber offense.

Kudos to the Knicks in opening their five-game road trip with straight-up underdog victories against the Jazz on Tuesday and Nuggets on Wednesday. But I don't see them making it three in a row against the Warriors.

Golden State has won five in a row at home. The Knicks are playing their third road game in four days and are in action for the fifth time in eight days. They caught a break in drawing the Nuggets when Denver was missing Nikola Jokic. Still, it was a highly satisfying win for the Knicks, their first in Denver since 2006. 

The Warriors aren't as fat and happy as the Knicks. Golden State is off a highly disappointing, 130-119, road loss to the Suns this past Wednesday. Warriors coach Steve Kerr fell on his sword taking the blame for the defeat. 

I see the Warriors playing with great intensity back at home in support of Kerr. Golden State is hitting 40 percent of its 3-point shots at home. That would rank No. 2 in the league if it were the Warriors' season average. The Knicks are down defensively from past seasons. They rank in the middle in 3-point defense. 

The Kings are one of the better road teams. But they haven't been able to win in Vancouver, losing the past five times there. The Canucks are 7-1 in their last eight overall games against the Kings.

I see the Canucks continuing their dominance against the Kings.

Vancouver received a much-needed victory hanging on for a 5-4 win against the Sabres this past Wednesday to close out a five-game road trip in which the Canucks had lost the first four games. Now the Canucks are back home. They should be up for this game with Bruce Boudreau coaching for his job.

The Kings defeated the Oilers on the road, 3-1, this past Wednesday scoring an empty-net goal during the final minute to account for the final. The Kings had played five straight one-goal games prior to Wednesday.

I find this line short as Nevada should beat Texas Arlington by double-digits.

The Wolf Pack rank 19th in defensive field goal percentage. Texas Arlington lost its three best scorers from last year's squad, which lost 18 of 29 games. The Mavericks' scoring numbers are skewed because they played two non-Division I cupcakes.

By most ratings, the Mavericks are worse than any team in the Mountain West Conference. So Nevada should have no problem here.

This is too generous of a point spread so I'm getting involved with the home underdog. 

Both teams are 3-0. This is Utah State's first road game of the season and biggest test.

Steve Lavin has raised the talent level at San Diego bringing in several transfers from the Pac-12. One of the Toreros' victories this season is against Florida Gulf Coast, a team that upset USC by 13 points on the road.

San Diego ranks 31st in the country in 3-point shooting. The Toreros also are 12th in turnover percentage. That's an impressive combination of limiting turnovers while being highly accurate from beyond the arc. 

The Titans have been winning ugly all season. It catches up to them here traveling on a short week with multiple defensive injuries facing a rejuvenated Packers team that saved their season by coming from two touchdowns behind in the fourth quarter to upset the Cowboys this past Sunday.

This is a huge game for Green Bay. The Packers can't take a loss here with their next game against the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Titans can be excused if they don't match the Packers' intensity. The Titans have a two-game lead in the very weak AFC South Division.

The timing of this road Thursday game is very bad for Tennessee. The Titans are one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL right now especially on defense. They were outplayed but managed to beat the bumbling Broncos this past Sunday despite missing five defensive starters, including star tackle Jeffery Simmons and big-play linebacker Bud Dupree. The Titans then suffered three more defensive injuries against Denver.

The Packers blew out the Titans, 40-14, at home two seasons ago when the teams last met.

The Blue Jackets are a strong Over team at home. The Over has cashed 73 percent of the time during their last 61 home contests.

I'm going to ride that trend here. Columbus is averaging 4.3 goals in its last three games. Montreal is a below average defensive team.

The Canadians have been playing more up-tempo. They are averaging 3.5 goals in their past eight games.

Troy may have a difficult time getting up for this game after upsetting Florida State on the road this past Monday as a double-digit 'dog.

That victory has caused this line to be inflated. Merrimack is at Troy's level. Merrimack has a good player in Jordan Minor.

Troy was picked to finish 10th in the Sun Belt Conference.

This game is being played at a neutral site. Troy is 1-5 ATS in its last six neutral site games.

The Bulls have rapid revenge for a 115-111 home loss to the Pelicans last Wednesday. The scheduling dynamics also favor Chicago.

Chicago last played three days ago. So the Bulls should be rested and ready. That's not the case with the Pelicans, who are in action for the eighth time in 13 days and have zero rest after beating the Grizzlies last night. Both Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum logged big minutes in that game.

It's a bonus for the Bulls if Zion Williamson has to miss the game. He's questionable with a foot injury.

The Bulls are 7-3-1 ATS during their last 11 road games.

Yes, No. 3 ranked Houston is good, real good. But look at this spread. It's too inflated.

Texas Southern, a Houston school, is going to be highly motivated not to get embarrassed by its next door neighbor. Texas Southern isn't good, but is capable of springing an upset. Just ask Arizona State. The Tigers upset them as 11-point home 'dogs this past Sunday. 

The Tigers have been reliable in this role covering 13 of the last 18 times on the road against an above .500 opponent. 

The 3-0 Cougars have yet to be tested. They rolled past three easy foes and have a much tougher challenge up next next when they go to Oregon to play the Ducks. So their focus is likely to be at 100 percent. 

This is a case of taking a nice plus price with a pair of struggling teams.

Buffalo has lost six in a row. Before the losing streak, the Sabres had been showing good improvement. They rank sixth in the league in scoring.

The Senators have been even worse losing eight of their last nine games. I don't see any improvement from the Senators. Things aren't going to be any easier for Ottawa during the next week or so because its top defenseman, Thomas Chabot, is out with a concussion.

This is just the third time all season the Grizzlies are underdogs when they are expected to have Ja Morant. He missed Memphis' last game, a 102-92 road loss to the Wizards this past Saturday.

Memphis is 0-3 when Morant has been out. But with him, the Grizzlies are 9-2. The Grizzlies also are 15-7 ATS the past 22 times following a loss.

The matchup has sort of a Zig/Zag feel to it as the Pelicans are off a 119-106 home win against the Rockets from Saturday. New Orleans is 0-5 ATS following a victory.

The Grizzlies have defeated the Pelicans three of the last four times when Morant has started.

I have St. Peter's power-rated higher than this spread number. The Peacocks have been an excellent ATS team going 21-6-1 ATS in their last 28 games for 78 percent. They have covered in their last six home games. 

West Virginia is off a very satisfying, 81-56, victory against Pittsburgh in its Backyard Brawl matchup. I don't see the Mountaineers being as intense as Morehead State for this matchup.

The Eagles have been pointing to this rematch after West Virginia eliminated them, 84-67, in a first round NCAA Tournament game last year. 

Morehead State is off an impressive, 62-55, victory against Bellarmine. 

Denver is going to get some culture shock meeting Sacramento State after facing bad defensive teams Idaho and non-Division I Colorado College. The Hornets play at a snail's pace and specialize in defense under new coach David Patrick.

The Hornets don't have much offense so they use this style. They are averaging 57.5 points in their two games.

I don't think the oddsmaker is fully factoring in Sacramento's slow tempo and commitment to defense while overrating Denver's offense.

Denver has had two easy games so far this season beating Idaho and Colorado College. The Pioneers struggled against Idaho failing to cover as 10-point home favorites. They face stronger competition here against Sacramento State.

The Hornets are defensive-minded under new coach David Patrick. Their half-court ways and height should bother Denver, which has faced two easy defenses.

Sacramento State is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games going back to last season. Denver has failed to cover in its last five lined home games.

Miami has yet to get going at 6-7. The Heat are at least two levels down from the Suns. The key question is are the Heat good enough at home drawing the Suns likely without Chris Paul for a third straight game?

I rather doubt it. Considering the situation - the Suns off an embarrassing loss to the Magic this past Friday - I will get involved backing underdog Phoenix.

The Suns had a cold shooting night against Orlando while the Magic were hot making 52.4 percent of their shots from the floor.

Phoenix is 8-3 ATS the past 11 times following a loss. They are 4-0 SU this season after losing in their previous game. Phoenix also has covered in its last four visits to Miami. Cameron Payne is one of the more underrated backup point guards in the league.

The Heat have their own key injury. Tyler Herro, Miami's second-leading scorer, has missed the last three games due to a sprained ankle.

Miami just got down hosting the lowly Hornets during its past two games. The last time the Heat faced a team of this high caliber was in their second game of the season when they hosted and lost to the Celtics. The Heat have failed to cover the past six times they've met an above .500 opponent.

I find this a cheap price to back the Islanders against the Senators, a team they have dominated. The Islanders are 9-1 during the last 10 games in this series.

The Islanders are playing well winning eight of their last 10. That's not the case for the Senators, who are 1-7 in their last eight games. Ottawa has lost four in a row at home. The Islanders are 4-1 in their past five road contests.

New York should have an edge in net as the projected goalies are Ilya Sorokin and Anton Forsberg for Ottawa. Sorokin has a 2.17 GAA this season. He stopped 56 of 60 shots in two games against the Senators last season. Forsberg has struggled during his last five games posting a 4.46 GAA.

The Islanders rank fifth defensively, while the Senators are 26th.

The 49ers are at full strength on offense for the first time this season. Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't have to be Joe Montana with Kyle Shanahan calling plays and backed by elite weapons Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk. 

The Chargers rank 30th in scoring defense allowing 25.8 points a game. 

Fresh off their bye, the 49ers also are healthier on defense, too. This doesn't bode well for the Chargers, who remain extremely banged-up offensively.

Justin Herbert has become just a glorified game manager minus his star left tackle and without his two best wide receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Herbert has not completed a pass longer than 20 yards during his last three games. He's also gone four consecutive games without reaching the 300-yard passing mark. 

The Chargers haven't defeated a good team yet. Their victories have been against the Raiders, Texans, Browns, Broncos in overtime and Falcons with three of those wins

Missouri didn't cover against Penn in its last game this past Friday, winning 92-85 as a 12 1/2-point home favorite. I had Penn in that game with part of my handicap being the Tigers are breaking in a new roster and coach so it's going to take time for them to jell.

I'm going to double down and fade the Tigers again believing this point spread is too high.

Missouri is 2-0, but giving up 88 points a game. Both of its previous opponents - Penn and Southern Indiana - shot 50 percent from 3-point range. Lindenwood made 12 of 26 3-point shots in its last game.

The Raiders have been on the road in their last two games and those two losses - getting shut out by the Saints and blowing a 17-0 lead to the Jaguars - have put enormous heat on Josh McDaniels and the entire Las Vegas franchise. 

But remember the last time the Raiders were home, they rolled past the Texans, 38-30. Houston is the worst team in the AFC. The Colts are at Houston Texans' level now. So against the worst at home, the Raiders should be trusted. 

The Raiders actually were a playoff team last season. They've blown three 17-point advantages. If they would have held on in those games their record would be 5-3 and we would be talking about a much higher point spread here. 

Nearly all of this handicap, however, is a fade on the Colts. You have to wonder if Colts owner Jim Irsay has gone on tilt, or made the decision to tank. Jeff Saturday, who has never been a coach on any level, inherits an offense that ranks last in scoring at 14.7, 30th in yards per play and 30th in rushing. The Colts have committed a league-high 17 turnovers. 

Bill Walsh would have trouble coaxing points out of this Colts offense, which has a stiff at quarterback in Sam Ehlinger, behind an offensive line that has deeply regressed. Jonathan Taylor is hobbled by an ankle injury. The play-calling falls upon Parks Frazier, who like Saturday, is totally inexperienced in this capacity. 

The Raiders aren't good defensively. They don't have to be against this foe. 

Davante Adams had a big first half last week. McDaniels knows enough offense to realize the Raiders just need to keep feeding Adams and run Josh Jacobs to take care of the Colts, who are without their best big-play defender, injured Shaquile Leonard. 
Las Vegas is in must-win mode now, trailing the Chiefs by four games in the AFC West Division. 

The Bills don't need Josh Allen to beat the Vikings, who are a bogus 7-1. Only one of Minnesota's wins has been against a winning team with six of its victories occurring in one-score games. The Vikings have a losing ATS mark. The one time the Vikings had a step-up game, they lost 24-7 to the Eagles.

Already the Vikings have built up an insurmountable five-game lead in the loss column in their NFC North Division. I doubt the Vikings get as motivated for this game as the Bills will at home off a terrible loss to the Jets.

I want Buffalo in this spot and I'm fine with Case Keenum, who is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league and is surrounded by weapons in the Bills' high octane offensive attack. Keenum is experienced and proficient in Buffalo's spread type offense. I don't see the Bills, with their aggressive nature, dialing things back.

Not only is the spot bad for the Vikings catching the Bills off a division loss, but the setting isn't good either for Minnesota. The Vikings are a dome team traveling into Buffalo in mid-November with the forecast calling for possible snow showers and wind in the 10-20 mph range.

A total of less than 41 in today's NFL, which is unfairly skewed toward offense and scoring, is a very low bar.

Both the Texans and Giants have excellent running backs and each defense has trouble stopping the run. The Texans have the worst run defense in the NFL by far yielding more than 180 yards a game on the ground. They have to deal with Saquon Barkley, who has regained his stature as a top-five running back and will have fresh legs following New York's bye last week.

If I could pick one player to have in fantasy football this week at running back it would be Barkley. The Giants also are getting healthier at wide receiver. If you discount the Texans holding the Jaguars to six points, Houston would be giving up an average of 28.2 points in their last five games.

The Texans should contribute to this total going Over riding Dameon Pierce, who is averaging 23.3 carries and 110 yards rushing during his last six games. The Giants are permitting 5.4 yards per carry, ranking 25th in run defense. There's the possibility the Texans get back Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins this week. They are the Texans' top two wide receivers.

I'm taking the Broncos even anticipating Ryan Tannehill will be back for the Titans. It's a huge bonus if Malik Willis has to start a third straight game. Willis is averaging 67.5 yards passing on 11 completions in his two games mainly throwing dump-off passes. He can't connect with anyone downfield. The Titans haven't been very good passing with Tannehill either.

Tennessee hasn't reached 260 yards of total offense in five of its eight games. The Titans are totally dependent on Derrick Henry. This isn't lost on the Broncos, who even without traded Bradley Chubb have a well above average defense giving up 16.5 points a game, which is No. 2 in the NFL in scoring defense.

The Broncos have finally shown a little life offensively. Denver was on a bye last week giving Russell Wilson additional time to heal and get more in sync with his new team. While the Broncos were resting, the Titans took the Chiefs to overtime last Sunday night. Tennessee's defense was on the field for 91 plays in that loss.

The Titans are going to be missing their best defensive front-seven player, Jeffery Simmons, along with linebackers Bud Dupree and Zach Cunningham.

Tennessee already is sailing toward the AFC South Division title. The Titans have no competition in their weak division. This game means far more to the Broncos. So Denver should have its intensity while the Titans have a fatigue factor working against them.

Texas Christian is ranked fourth in the country in the latest The Associated Press Top 25 poll. Texas is ranked 18th. Yet the Longhorns are solid favorites. Usually it's the oddsmaker who has the correct power rankings, not the Top 25 voters. This time, though, it's the Top 25 poll that is accurate about these teams.

TCU is the better team. The Horned Frogs are 9-0, including 6-0 in the Big 12. They just defeated Texas Tech by 10 points. Texas is 6-3 with two of its defeats coming to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, two teams that TCU defeated.

Texas lacks TCU's consistency and polish. The Horned Frogs have already beaten four ranked opponents. Only Tennessee has knocked off more with five.

The Horned Frogs have dominated the Longhorns, too, going 7-3 SU, 8-2 ATS against them since becoming a Big 12 member 10 years ago. They are 4-1 versus the Longhorns in Austin.

No team has played more Unders this season than Marshall. The Thundering Herd have gone Under in eight of their nine games, including the last six.

Marshall gives up 15.6 points, ranks No. 3 in run defense and ninth in total defense. The Thundering Herd, though, has a limited passing attack ranking 110th. So they run the ball a lot, which eats clock.

Appalachian State also has a good defense ranking 27th in fewest yards allowed per game and are run-oriented on offense. The Under has cashed in four of the Mountaineers' last five games.

Louisville hung in against Clemson last season losing, 30-24. The Cardinals are better this season and catch Clemson off a confidence-draining 35-14 loss to Notre Dame. That was the Tigers' worst loss to an unranked foe in 11 years and cost them six spots in the College Football Playoff rankings.

That loss occurred at Notre Dame. But the Tigers are just 3-9 ATS in their last dozen home games.

Meanwhile, Louisville is playing its finest ball putting together a four-game win streak with two of those victories coming against ranked Wake Forest and James Madison, who was ranked earlier in the season. The Cardinals are surrendering just 14.5 points during their last four games. Talented dual threat QB Malik Cunningham has accounted for 19 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions.

Houston scored 63 points against SMU last week - and still lost by 14. There's only one way to look at Houston games and it's certainly not Under. The Over has cashed in eight of the Cougars' nine games this season. 

The Cougars average 36.8 points and give up an average of 36.2 points. 

Temple isn't going to be able to slow down Clayton Tune and the rest of Houston's high-caliber attack. The Owls should be able to kick in their fair share of points. Their offense came alive in a 54-28 victory against South Florida last week. Edward Saydee rushed for 265 yards and QB E.J. Warner passed for 344 yards for Temple. 

It's not a fluke that Kentucky has gone Under in eight of its nine games this season. The Wildcats are run-oriented, go at the slowest pace of any team in the country and have a tremendous defense that ranks 11th in fewest yards allowed and 21st in scoring defense holding opponents to 19.6 points a game.

Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann is out with a lower body injury. He's the Commodores' best passing quarterback. Vanderbilt is averaging only 12.5 points during its past five games.

The Commodores do not have a good defense. However, their best feature is stopping the run. Kentucky figures to stay on the ground a lot especially given the projected weather conditions, which are calling for wind in the 15-22 mph range.

By the numbers the oddsmaker has set a correct total here. Early marketplace activity has pushed the total even higher. Golden State is the third-highest scoring team in the league and second-worst defensive team. The Warriors just allowed an average of 121.6 points on their recently completed 0-5 road trip. Led by Donovan Mitchell and his 31.9 scoring average, the Cavaliers are a top-seven scoring team. 

But I see this spot being much more defensive-oriented than perceived. 

This is the conclusion of the Cavaliers' five-game road trip. They've lost the last two games to the Kings and Lakers allowing an average of 123.5 in those contests. Cleveland ranks seventh defensively holding opponents to 107.4 points a game. The Cavaliers are the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the league. 

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff was especially appalled by his team's lack of defense in the 127-120 Wednesday loss to Sacramento. This is what he said following that game, ''...If we want to be a good basketball team, we need to remember who we are and we need to play Cavaliers basketball. ...''

Cavaliers basketball is defense and limiting opponents to one shot. 

The Warriors are overdue to start cleaning up their defense. They were the third-stingiest team in the league to score against last season holding opponents to 105.4 points. This is just Golden State's third home game since Oct. 23. The Warriors gave up 110 to the Heat and 113 to the Kings during their previous two home games. Not great, but much better than they've been allowing on the road. 

Both teams are on Over streaks. San Jose is 6-0-1 to the Over in its last seven games. The Over is 4-0-1 in the Stars' last five games. 

The Sharks have picked up their scoring pace, scoring 3 or more goals in each of their last six games. 

However, the Sharks are giving up 4.4 goals per game during their last seven games. The Stars can take advantage of San Jose's leaky defense being very productive this season.

Dallas is fifth in the NHL in scoring at 3.6 goals. The Stars have scored 5 or more goals in three of their last four games. 

The Over has cashed 15 of the last 21 times the teams have met in Dallas.