NFL Thursday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills -3.5 @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - The Bills are 0-2 SU in divisional games this season and, as you would expect, those SU losses were also ATS losses. However, they entered this season on a 7-1 ATS run in divisional games. Buffalo knows they need to start taking care of business in action against divisional foes as the AFC East race is jam-packed right now. The final 3 home games the Bills have left are divisional games and this is their final divisional road game this season. After getting a tight win last week at Detroit, look for a much stronger effort here on the road for the Bills. Note that Buffalo is the must stronger offense in comparison with New England. Also, the Patriots are averaging just 13 points in divisional games this season and have been held to 14 points or less in 2 of last 3 home games. The Bills, on the other hand, have averaged 28 ppg this season and they also are much better in pass protection than the Patriots. At home and off a loss, New England is sure to give a valiant effort here but the Bills will pull away as this one goes along and they will cover the short number. 10* BUFFALO -3.5

World Cup Thursday 10* Top Play Spain -1.5 goals +120 vs Japan @ 2 ET - Spain just too much for Japan here. Getting plus money with a multi-goal win is too much value to pass up on here. 4 of last 6 victories for Spain have been by a multiple goal margin. The average margin of Spain's last 6 wins is 3 goals so we should see a win by at least 2 goals here! Japan's recent results do not show many blowout defeats but they most often are not facing competition anywhere close to the level of Spain. Also, though they defeated Germany in this World Cup, Japan was heavily out played on possession and shots on goal as well. Coming into the World Cup, Spain one of the favorites while Japan a "middle of the pack" club. That said, Japan's victory over Germany, despite being outplayed, is helping to give us line value here. One could easily argue that Spain should be an even heavier favorite here as Japan also just lost to Costa Rica. How did they not score there after Spain had just hung a "TD" (7 goals) on Costa Rica. 10* Spain -1.5 goals +120

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Missouri State Bears -4.5 @ Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 8 ET - So here you have a 3-3 Bears team ON THE ROAD and facing a 5-2 Flames team and yet it is Missouri State that is favored! Big mistake, right? Not all. This Bears team has played a tougher early season schedule and was the better team last season and even though they lost a lot of starters they have a solid looking roster thanks to transfers of incoming talent. Missouri State is jelling now at the right time as conference action is getting underway in the Missouri Valley and this is the opener for these teams. Even though Illinois-Chicago has the better record, they have played the weaker schedule plus have allowed an average of 68.3 points per game last 6 games. The Bears are allowing 60.5 ppg this season and they faced tougher schedule including losing by just 2 points at BYU as a double digit underdog! Lay the points with the road team as UIC gets a rude awakening going from facing a struggling UWGB team to facing a Bears team that it is hitting its stride plus saw newcomer James Graham see his first significant action in most recent game and he played great and shot lights out. Confidence of this road team is high right now and they are well-coached and off a 23-win season. 10* MISSOURI STATE -4.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +3.5 or +4 @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers had Embiid on Monday and he was strong in his return. the Cavaliers are still without Love and Allen. Also, Mitchell is coming off a game in which he scored only 8 points so that is concerning for Cleveland too. Overall, the Cavs have lost 7 of 12 games since that red hot 8-1 start to the season they had! The 76ers have been dealing with injury issues of their own but they have now won 7 of 9 games! Also, one of those two losses was by just 3 points. One of the just 5 wins that Cleveland has since their slump started in early November was a double OT win. So the point is that, even if this game is tight, we still have a shot to get the cash with the plus points but an outright upset would not surprise me at all. The Sixers are playing with more confidence of late and the same can not be said of the Cavaliers over the past few weeks. Grab the points. 10* PHILADELPHIA +3.5 or +4

World Cup Wednesday 10* Top Play Denmark -1 -115 vs Australia @ 10 AM ET - Interesting scenario here as Denmark is tied with Tunisia in the standings and France is playing Tunisia today at the same time, of course, as this Denmark match with Australia. That said, France is already advancing and could be a big flat against Tunisia. If Tunisia would happen to win than even if Denmark wins, which I do expect, they would still be tied in the table. The key would then be goal differential and then if that did not decide it then it is most goals scored. That being said, I look for Denmark to go hard here in an effort to score plenty not only to win but also just to "be sure" of advancing. Certainly Australia wants to win here as they need at least a draw to advance but Denmark is simply the much better club and will bring their A game today. Look for at least a 2-0 final here as a result. 10* DENMARK -1 -115

NHL Tuesday 8* play Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 goals -155 vs New York Islanders @ 7:35 ET - These teams just met in New York and the Flyers outshot the Islanders. Philly went with back-up goalie Sandstrom in that one and a 2-2 game entering the 3rd period ended up a 5-2 loss. However, Tuesday it will be Carter Hart in goal and he is generally very strong at home and, after the game off, should be back on top of his game here. Look for Flyers to get payback here and, if they do fall short, look for it to be by just a single goal. Value in the puck line here at +1.5 goals but with the -155 price range, we will reduce our star rating on this one from 10* top to an 8* play. Prior to the 5-2 win over Philly, the Islanders last 11 games had featured only 2 wins by more than 1-goal margin. For the Flyers, they have been mired in a losing slump but this looks like the perfect situation and match-up to snap that and if they do fall short, it will likely be in OT or SO. They are going to put up a fierce fight here and match up well with the Islanders. 8* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 -155

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions +2 @ Clemson Tigers @ 7 ET - Clemson was in Florida for a tournament while Penn State was in their home state of Pennsylvania and facing Lafayette this past weekend. The situation here favors the Nittany Lions here even though they are on the road. I love taking small road dogs too as a lot of time people are so enticed to grab those home teams with a small line but oftentimes the line is just that...an enticement. When the situational factors are right, these road teams can be pure gold. Clemson is 5-2 this season but the 5 teams they have beaten have a combined record of 11-23. Penn State has only one loss this season and it was to a Hokies team that is now 7-1 on the season. Nittany Lions allowing only 62.5 points per game this season and I sense a road upset here but will grab the added insurance of having the points on our side in this one. 10* PENN STATE +2

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Sam Houston State Bearkats +2.5/+3/+3.5 @ Nevada Wolf Pack @ 10 PM ET - This one jumped off the page at me because, of course, most people are going to look and see the bigger school at home and laying a small number and think this is easy money. Not so fast my friend. This one should belong to the surprising Bearkats. They were already expected to be very good in the WAC this season but now are getting extra production from unexpected sources and it has made them even better. In a nutshell, this team is not only good, there are VERY good and deep! They are 6-0 SU on the season and 4-0 ATS in lined games. They play great defense and get a lot of steals and already have wins over Oklahoma and Utah! Those are two Power 5 conference teams and yes the wins were AT Norman, OK and AT Salt Lake City, UT. So going into Reno, NV to knock off Nevada is not asking too much. Now the fact is the Wolf Pack are a quality team and they have a great coach too in Steve Alford, but the Sam Houston State coach Jason Hooten has been with the Bearkats for 12 years and this is a great team he has assembled this season. These guys really believe in themselves and in each other and I do expect an outright win here but, at the very least, we should see a cover if it comes down to a tight finish. Nevada's leading scorer Lucas is struggling with his shooting percentage early this season and their 4th leading scorer Hymes has missed the last few games with back issues and may miss again. Either way, I like this hungry Bearkats team here. 10* SAM HOUSTON STATE +2.5/+3/+3.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +1.5 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers have won 6 of last 8 games. They have been without Embiid lately but might even get him back tonight. Even if they don't the way they are playing now they are loaded with confidence and here they are back at home and facing a Hawks team that is also in a back to back spot for this one. Atlanta has lost B2B games and also is an ugly 2-5 last 7 road games including even losing to the Rockets in Houston! The Sixers are 5-1 last 6 home games and I have a feeling that Embiid was waiting for this home game to return. That would just be an added bonus for us here. Either way, I like Philly and the home team is 2-0 in the two meetings between these teams this season and Trae Young off a rough shooting game last night and now he is on the road after last night's game was at home. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -6.5 vs Green Bay Packers @ 8:20 ET - The Eagles have not looked as strong the last couple weeks for sure and their run defense has been an issue though there is a chance of some improvement with recent signings there as they also wait to get healthier again on the D-line. However, even with that, think about how Green Bay has played for much of this season. The point is that we get line value here because the betting markets tend to have a short-term memory. They are looking at this as the Eagles that lost outright to the Commanders for first loss of year and then barely (and fortunately) snuck by the Colts late in last week's game. That is why you are getting such a low line here. Think about this line for a second though. This number is basically saying that the Eagles, on a neutral field, would only be favored by about a field goal in this one. This is just not the case and I think we have great value here. The Eagles are so strong at home (generally speaking) and had covered 8 in a row as a home favorite before losing outright to Washington two weeks ago. That is what is on everyone's mind is how bad the Eagles were at home on MNF two weeks ago but you don't think the Philly players also want to make up for that here? The point is that they can (and should) do just that against a Packers team that, other than a miracle comeback OT win versus Dallas (but at home) 2 weeks ago, has really struggled. Green Bay has lost 5 of 6 games played outside of Wisconsin this season and their average margin of defeat in those is 8 points. This is not an average team they are facing here. This is the team with the best record in the NFL that also wants to make up for their poor performance on MNF at home two weeks ago. Yes the Eagles D has some issues but this offense is capable of fully clicking, especially at home, with the way Hurts has played at times this season. Before the tight win at Indy, 6 of last 7 Philly wins had been by 8 or more points. This one will too! Eagles run defense has been the story lately but they have added some pieces and it is the struggling Packers run defense that will be exposed in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -6.5

NFL Sunday 8* Tennessee Titans +1.5 vs Cincinnati Bengals @ 1 ET - Yes this is a playoff revenge situation but there is plenty of motivation for both sides of course. Tennessee certainly will play with a lot of emotion but the key here has more to do with just playing so well when Tannehill is healthy at QB for them plus the home field edge and another is a weather factor. It is going to be windy in Nashville today including gusty winds. The Bengals strength on offense is the passing game while for the Titans it is the ground game. Tennessee has an edge with weather like this as the running game will be even more important. Not only that, if you look at the defense of these two teams, Titans are one of the best in the league when it comes to run defense. Bengals have one of the worst rushing offenses in the league. So consider these factors plus playoff revenge plus home field edge and you can see why I like Tennessee here. I also like the fact the Titans are on an 8-0 ATS overall run plus have covered each of the last 5 times they have been a home dog. Look for that run to reach 9-0 as, even though Cincy has been playing well, this is a great spot for the home team. 8* TENNESSEE +1.5

NCAAB Saturday 10* Top Play Illinois-Chicago Flames -5 @ Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 7 ET - The Phoenix are not only 0-5 this season, they were in Jamaica for a tournament. So even though Wisconsin Green Bay is back home and now playing their home opener, this is not exactly an ideal spot for them after the tournament in Jamaica. They have played some tough teams this season but also UWGB has lost to teams like Queens and Utah Valley by a combined 39 points in last 2 games. Overall the Phoenix have been blown out in every game this season. Granted, UIC is no powerhouse but, unlike UWGB, they are at least scoring well this season. Illinois-Chicago is averaging 74 ppg this season and Green Bay averaging just 55 ppg this season. Look for the Flames to get the win here as they ride the momentum of B2B wins and with the downward line move here we have solid line value also. 10* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO -5

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans +19 @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 4 ET - The Spartans need a win to be a bowl eligible. Do I think Michigan State will win this outright? No. Do I think Michigan State is a dangerous double digit dog that is going to fight like hell in this game? Yes. Absolutely! The fact is this is just too many points. Yes the Spartans lost to Indiana last week but they outgained the Hoosiers 540 to 288 but still found a way to blow a 24-7 lead and then eventually lose in double overtime. It was a disheartening loss but Michigan State upset Penn State last season and absolutely believes they can do it again here despite the huge line. Now I certainly know that the Nittany Lions are on a red hot ATS run and have been piling up big wins. However, just like the Spartans, they lost big to Michigan and Ohio State. Penn State is 4-2 last 6 games but the wins against Minnesota, Indiana, Maryland and Rutgers. None of those are powerhouses and certainly Michigan State is no powerhouse either. But they can compete on the road again here just like they did in most recent road game at Illinois when they won outright as a double digit dog! You can bet the Spartans feel they can do the exact same thing here and there is not only added confidence from that result but also from last week's huge yardage edge over the Hoosiers. Michigan State knows they deserved better and will go hard again this week. Spartans only have 3 losses by more than this margin this season and two of them were to the same Michigan and Ohio State teams that both beat Penn State. The Nittany Lions do not have huge motivation here as they will not be playing for the Big Ten title game and simply look ahead to their big bowl match-up. The Lions certainly want to win their home finale and to continue playing well but there is no arguing that the Spartans should come in as the hungrier team in desperation mode to earn a 6th win for a bowl bid. They may fall short in their quest but they should at least get the solid cover here! 10* MICHIGAN STATE +19

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers -10.5 @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 3:30 ET - The Hoosiers were outgained 540 to 288 by Michigan State last week. They got a miracle win in double OT despite that huge yardage deficit. Now they take on a determined Purdue team that got new life with yesterday's shocking upset of Nebraska knocking off Iowa. The Boilermakers are the only team left in the Big Ten West that controls its own destiny. They win this game and they are in the Big Ten Championship Game to face either Michigan or Ohio State - depending on that outcome in the Big Ten East today. So the set up here is a good one for the Boilers to roll. Indiana had lost 7 straight games (and by an average margin of deficit of 20 points) prior to last week's win which, again, was a deceiving final score. So look for the Boilers offense (27 ppg on the road this season) to produce plenty of points here as they face a struggling Indiana defense that has been torched for game after game of late. Also, the Boilermakers D has allowed just 19 ppg last 3 games and can shut down the Hoosiers who were held under 300 yards last week and were held to 17 points or less in 4 of 5 games heading into that one. Rivalry game but the motivation and talent disparity this season mean the favorite wins this by at least a two touchdown margin. 10* PURDUE -10.5

World Cup Saturday 10* Top Play Argentina -1 goal +100 vs Mexico @ 2 ET - Argentina had 3 goals disallowed in a 13 minute span in the first half of their eventual shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia. That huge upset loss has set up phenomenal line value here in my opinion. This Argentina club can, and will, respond. Mexico is off a scoreless draw with Poland and is not as strong as past squads. That said, this sets up well to be a bloodbath in favor of the favorites who I am sure are going to put on a display here and dominate from start to finish. Mexico goalie Ochoa had a huge save on a penalty shot in the match with Poland but, other than that, it was a quiet match for him. This one will not be quiet and he allowed a goal in 7 straight matches for Mexico (and average of 1.4 per match) before the clean sheet against a sluggish Poland side. That said, he will be very tested here and I feel strongly we'll see multiple goals from Argentina and you can bet the favorites will be hell bent on delivering a clean sheet of their own here! 10* ARGENTINA -1 goal +100

CFB Friday 10* Top Play UCLA Bruins -10.5 @ California Golden Bears @ 4:30 ET - This sets up beautifully. UCLA is off a tight loss to USC in which they had a 4-1 turnover deficit. California is off a big win over rival Stanford in "The Game" for those long-time rivals. The Bruins enter this game angry and they are so much stronger than Cal. The Golden Bears enter this game content. This is going to turn into a road rout. Normally I don't like to lay big points but this is a rare exception as this game jumped off the page for me given the set-up. UCLA average margin of victory is 26 points the last two meetings with Cal and I fully expect another blowout here. Both teams have some issues on defense for sure but the difference is the prolific offense of the Bruins while the Bears are not strong at all on that side of the ball. Keep in mind the Bears got a 37 yard fumble return for a TD in their comeback win versus the Cardinal last week as they were down by 11 in the 4th quarter! UCLA started the season 6-0 but now has lost 3 of 5 including B2B losses. The Bruins can tie their season record wins record of 10 by winning this game and their bowl game so they still have motivation despite last week's loss to USC. Also, Cal had lost 6 straight games before getting the win over Stanford last week. Bruins one of only six teams in the country averaging over 500 yards of offense per game. 10* UCLA -10.5

CBB Friday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats -7 vs Portland Pilots @ 2:30 ET - This game being played in a tournament at Portland and so the location certainly favors the Pilots. However, they still could be without one of their starting guards for this one plus I expect them to fall flat after having a shot to upset #1 North Carolina yesterday but falling just short. I know Villanova is off an OT loss but the Wildcats have enough depth to be just fine here and this Wildcats team will have resolve in this one after falling just short by a single bucket in back to back games. Villanova lost by 2 to Michigan State and then by 2 in OT to Iowa State. In fact, the Cats are just 2-3 this season but the 3 losses by a combined total of only 8 points. Nova has also played a much tougher schedule than the Pilots. Prior to facing UNC last night, the Portland schedule had been quite soft and the stronger team from the stronger conference and off B2B losses gets a statement win here against a Pilots team that will be flat after last night's result. 10* VILLANOVA -7

World Cup Friday 10* Top Play England -1 -115 vs United States @ 2 ET - England has scored 9 goals in last 2 matches. Granted they also have surrendered some big goals too but they have firepower that the USA will not be able to match here. USA let one get away in blowing the 1-0 lead they held for a long time against Wales. That was a club that the United States matched up better with. Here, they are over-matched as you can tell by the line. Of course we hope not to get a push here and that we do get a win but there is nice value here in the fact that a 1-goal win at least gets us our money back. The reason to expect a big margin win though? The USA has scored a total of only 2 goals last 4 matches. England has scored 9 goals in just the last 2 matches as noted above. Also, the last 10 matches have included 5 shutout defeats for the United States and especially against tougher competition they struggle to score. I expect at least a 2-0 win for the favorites here. 10* ENGLAND -1 -115

NCAAB Thursday 10* Top Play Oregon Ducks +3.5 vs Connecticut Huskies @ 8 ET in Portland, OR - This is a neutral site game in the Phil Knight Invitational but certainly the location favors the Ducks. What I love about this play the most is this an early season situation that tends to work very well. You have a ranked team laying a small number and they are already 5-0 on the season and that small number is so enticing when you consider they are facing a 2-2 team. Now here's the early season key with this. Yes Connecticut is 5-0 but they have faced a very weak schedule so far. Now I know the Ducks did lose to Cal Irvine which is unacceptable but they were outscored by a margin of 24 points from the 3-point arc in the 13 point loss. Simply put, Oregon shot horribly and the Anteaters were solid from outside. That is not an excuse though it is just a fact that even good basketball teams have off-games at times, overlook teams they should not, etc. The Ducks other loss was to a highly ranked Houston team. I feel both these losses help them here. You can bet Oregon, definitely having played the tougher schedule, is also motivated to put the first blemish on the Huskies record this season. Look for them to do just that but we'll grab the points as added insurance too. 10* OREGON +3.5

NFL Thursday 10* Top Play New York Giants +10 @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:30 ET - That old adage about the wounded dog bites the hardest will hold up here. The Giants have injury issues to the offensive line and wide receiver. They are also coming off a home loss to the Lions in which they gave the game away because of 3 turnovers. New York is fired up to respond this week and facing a division rival should certainly help them. One little hidden angle that I feel could surprise here is that WR Kenny Golladay could be a positive factor. He played multiple seasons for Lions earlier in his career and is used to playing on Thanksgiving. He averaged over 100 yards receiving per game in the T-Day games from 2017 to 2019. After those 3 solid performances he missed the 2020 game and then went to the Giants. New York has a long history in the NFL but hardly ever has played on Thanksgiving. Watch Golladay and Darius Slayton have big games here. The Cowboys won the first meeting and NY wants revenge. Even if they don't get revenge I do expect them to at least get the cover. The Cowboys off the huge win over Vikings where they played a great game and everything went their way. It is hard to have games like that B2B and especially on a short week. That said, it takes nearly a perfect game to cover a double digit spread in the NFL and this is particularly true in a divisional game. Look for Saquon Barkley to bounce back with a strong ground game as he had a massive game the week before the poor game last week. 10* NEW YORK GIANTS +10

World Cup Thursday 10* Top Play Portugal -1.5 +130 vs Ghana @ 11 AM ET - With all the Ronaldo controversy going on, Portugal is ready to get on the pitch and let their play do the talking. I am expecting a dominating win here. Portugal just beat Nigeria 4-0 and I feel strongly that they are going to make a statement in this game. Ghana split with that same Nigeria club a couple months ago with a composite tally of 2-2 in the two matches. The key point is that there is a talent disparity between these two clubs and the favorites are coming in fired up wanting to make a statement. That is why I am very comfortable with the goal line in this one. 10* PORTUGAL -1.5 +130

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles -5.5 vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 6 ET - The Golden Eagles lost yesterday despite holding Mississippi State to 13 of 39 shooting from inside the arc. Marquette actually made 13 of 23 shots from inside the arc. The problem was, as you guessed it, the Golden Eagles took a lot of threes but did not knock them down at the same high rate as the Bulldogs. Now I know the Yellow Jackets forced a lot of turnovers yesterday and that kept them in the game as they lost a tight one to Utah. However, they will not be so successful here in that regard as I expect a focused Golden Eagles team to be much tougher to beat than Utah was yesterday. The Utes practically gave the game away yesterday but the Eagles come into this one hungry off a loss as they are 3-2 this season with two tight losses and 3 wins by double digit margins. Keep in mind, the Bulldogs team that Marquette just lost to is now 5-0 on the season. With Georgia Tech suffering their first loss of the season, they could be in for a letdown here and you are seeing the Golden Eagles favored by about a half-dozen here with good reason. Yellow Jackets went about 7 minutes without scoring a field goal after scoring one with 7:22 left in the game. That kind of offensive ineptitude in late-game situations can get in a team's head. Now they face a tough Golden Eagles team the very next day. Tough spot. 10* MARQUETTE -5.5

#306575 Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn Quakers -3/3.5/4 @ Lafayette Leopards @ 8:30 ET - I am aware of the Jordan Dingle injury as he missed the game at West Virginia after leaving the prior game with an injury. However, even if he does not play tonight, the Quakers are just too much for the Leopards and the situation is perfect. While Penn is off a bloodbath loss to the Mountaineers 92 to 58 and fully ready to respond here, Lafayette is off an ugly low-scoring win over Central Connecticut State. That was first win of the season for the Leopards and they could struggle here after an ugly tight win like that. Penn, on the other hand, is coming off the type of ugly defeat that is going to bring an inspired effort here. I don't see the Quakers being denied here even if Dingle ends up missing this game. However, there is a chance he will be back for this one but either way the depth of their roster has more talent than this Leopards team from the Patriot League. Not only is that one of the weakest conferences in the nation but also Lafayette is projected to be one of the worst teams in the Patriot League. Take advantage of the small number here and look for the Quakers to bounce back off the embarrassing loss. 10* PENN -3/3.5/4

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +7 or +7.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:30 ET - Yes the Sixers have injury issues as Harden and Maxey were already out and now Embiid is going to miss a couple games. However, there is an expression about "wounded dog bites the hardest" and this hungry 76ers team will put up a dogfight here at home. They do get back Harris and Korkmaz for this one or at least that is expected. I know the latter has not done a whole lot this season but Harris is one of Philly's top players and both guys will carry, and are happy to have, a bigger share of the production tonight on the floor. The Nets have had team chemistry issues all season long and though they should find a way to win this game I do not expect the margin to be enough. Brooklyn has played 17 games and only have 4 wins by more than 7 points this season! The 76ers already have 3 losses by 3 or less points on their home floor this season. They will put up a fight here and the 76ers are 2-2 in games Embiid has missed and one of those two losses was by just 2 points. 10* PHILADELPHIA +7 or +7.5

CFB Tuesday 10* Top Play Bowling Green Falcons +6.5 or +7 @ Ohio Bobcats @ 7 ET - Ohio is priced this way because they are at home and still motivated to win as they look to win the MAC East. However, their top QB Rourke was on the sidelines with a heavy brace and ice for the 2nd half of last week's game. Even if he is able to play here he will not be 100%. As for Bowling Green, they are off a big 42-35 road win at Toledo to keep their MAC title game hopes alive. They need to win here and then hope Kent State beats Buffalo on Saturday. The road win for the Falcons was no fluke as they are now 3-0 SU in MAC road games this season and have scored an average of 35.7 ppg in winning all 3. Led by a solid (and healthier) QB in McDonald, the Falcons are off an amazing late win against the Bulls that kept their season alive. BG will build off that emotional last second win, they were down 35-34 when they won it on what was very nearly the final play of the game. The Bobcats are not very strong defensively and rely heavily on their offense to win games. The Falcons are peaking at the right time and will give a wounded Ohio U all they can handle here and possibly even win the game outright. I will take the points. 10* Bowling Green +6.5 or +7

NFL Monday 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals +8.5 vs San Francisco 49ers @ 8:15 ET (Mexico City) - I know that statistically the Cardinals are not a very good team. However, they still have a dangerous offense and could have Murray back at QB for this one. If not, McCoy will be under center again and it looks like DeAndre Hopkins will be available at WR again and he had 10 receptions for nearly 100 yards with McCoy at QB last week. Marquise Brown is probably not coming back at WR this week but they still have plenty of targets in the passing game with Hopkins and Rondale Moore. Note that Moore also had a big game last week. The Cardinals are off a win versus the Rams and have scored an average of 29 points last 4 games. The 49ers are just 2-2 last 4 games and averaging only 22.5 points during that stretch. San Francisco has the better defense in this match-up but are over-valued here against a Cardinals team with great backdoor potential here. I just don't see the Niners beating the Cards by more than a 1-score margin here. Yesterday only 4 of the 12 games were victories by more than an 8 point margin. This is not unusual as it so hard to win in this league let alone to win by a big margin. In a divisional match-up winning big is even tougher. There were 4 divisional games so far this week and all were decided by a one-score margin. Grab the points here. 10* ARIZONA +8.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:10 ET - The last time the Hawks visited Cleveland, they knocked the Cavaliers out of the post-season race as they knocked them out of the play-in round with a 107 to 101 win last spring. The Cavs have not forgotten and Trae Young was waving to the fans after the game and slammed the ball on the court as the Hawks got it done that night. That was not just any loss for Cleveland as it was a defeat that made sure their playoff drought - dating back to 2018 - continued. The Cavaliers will want some payback tonight and I like their chances on their home floor. These teams have identical 10-6 records on the season but the Cavs are 6-1 at home and the Hawks are just 2-3 last 5 road games. Also, Atlanta is coming off an OT win over Toronto. The Hawks were at home for that one and have a home game on deck Wednesday so this is a one-off road trip and those generally are tough on a team especially when off an OT win too. I just don't think Atlanta is going to be able to match the intensity of the Cavaliers here. Cleveland is off a big home win over Miami and Garland is playing unbelievably well right now plus they have Mitchell, Allen, Mobley plus Osman is coming off a huge game. That 26-point win over the Heat will really get this team going. Look for the Cavaliers to get their revenge in convincing style tonight even if LeVert and or Love do not play. The other guys mentioned above are the bigger factors in this one and the home side rides a ton of emotion in this game. 10* CLEVELAND -2.5

NHL Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 goals -135 @ 7:05 ET - This one is simply all about the home dog line value. The Flyers are such a big home dog here that you can play them on the puck line here at a very reasonable price and I will not hesitate to get involved here. Yes, Philadelphia has been struggling but Calgary has not exactly been setting the world on fire either. This is particularly true in terms of big wins. Note that the Flames have to win by 2 or more goals to beat us here. Calgary has only 2 wins this entire season by more than 1 goal. One of those was the first game of the season too! So if you played +1.5 goals versus the Flames in their last 16 games you have gone 15-1 at the betting window! As for the Flyers, they have lost 11 of 18 games this season but 5 of those 11 losses by just a single goal. So if you played Philly at +1.5 goals in each game this season you have a tidy 12-6 record on the season. At home and off a tough shootout loss where they allowed the tying goal with just 2 seconds left in the game, the Flyers will be giving maximum effort here and they catch Calgary off a shootout win! Great set-up. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 -135

World Cup Monday 10* Top Play Wales Goal Line PK +135 vs United States @ 2 ET - Big line move toward USA in this one. I know Wales is without Joe Allen but they are otherwise healthy and have a star on the pitch in Gareth Bale. Grabbing the goal line here means we get a push if this match ends in a draw yet we still get some solid plus money if Wales wins which is what I am expecting here. I know a lot of people are pointing at the fact that Wales struggled coming into this match but their last 5 matches have included Netherlands twice and Belgium twice. Those are very strong clubs and, though Wales did lose the other match in last five they generated twice as many shots as Poland in that one. Wales has had some tight defeats lately but has faced a tough slate and I feel that stronger level of competition helps them here. They now take on a USA club that has many questions about the tactics and decision-making of manager Gregg Berhalter when it comes to this roster. Don't be surprised if that proves to cause some team chemistry issues with this club. Wales will prove to be the more cohesive unit entering this match and manager Rob Page helps tip the scales in their favor here. The USA has not faced the same level of competition last 3 matches that Wales has faced last 5 matches and yet the United States went an uninspiring 0-1-2 with just one goal scored. Lot of value here with the underdog in my opinion and we'll take it. 10* WALES PK +135

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors -9.5 @ Houston Rockets @ 7:10 ET - Finally, the streak will end. Yes, I am calling my shot as they say. Golden State is 0-8 on the road this season and they are sick and tired of hearing about it. Now they take on a Rockets team with injury issues and Houston is one of the worst teams in the NBA with a 3-13 record. They lost 2 starters early this season and then two of their best current players that are starters might be out for this game. The Rockets Porter is doubtful and Sengun is questionable. Either way, the Warriors will take advantage of facing one of the worst teams in the NBA and roll to a win by a double digit margin here. Yes they lost at Detroit, another bad team, earlier this season but that was a tough B2B spot and off an OT loss. This situation sets up much better for the Warriors and there is a reason a team with a winless road record is favored by double digits here. Don't let the big line scare you away here. The Warriors will not want any doubt to creep in late in this game and I look for a win by a 15 to 20 point margin as GS wants no part of a comeback attempt for the injury-depleted Rockets here. 10* GOLDEN STATE -9.5

CFL Sunday 10* Top Play Toronto Argonauts +6 vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 6 ET in Saskatchewan - A lot of things have to go right to win the Grey Cup. Then, to win two in a row, the odds are even slimmer. As for getting a trifecta of Grey Cup Championship titles the odds are even slimmer yet. All the pressure is on Winnipeg here as the Blue Bombers are going for the 3-peat after winning it all in 2019 and 2021 - there was no 2020 season due to covid. That said, underdog Toronto is not really being given a chance here by most pundits. That is the part of the reason the line has moved toward Winnipeg also. I have a strong feeling the Argonauts get the shocking upset here but I will grab the points as added insurance. Toronto was 6-3 in road games this season and the Blue Bombers were 7-2 away from home. This game is being played at Mosaic Stadium in Regina SK so it is a neutral site game. Granted Regina much closer to Winnipeg than it is to Toronto but you can bank on Riders fans being in attendance for this one and so plenty of fans will be cheering AGAINST the Blue Bombers in this one. History buffs will be glad to know that Toronto has won the Grey Cup EACH of the last SIX times they have reached the big game. The loss before that was by just 2 points and that was preceded by a 1-point win. Excellent line value here and there are many intangibles for liking the underdog Argos including RB Andrew Harris, a sure Hall of Famer, going against his former team and ready to show he still "has it" on the biggest of stages in the CFL. There are also still some questions about how healthy Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros is here as well. 10* TORONTO +6

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 @ Pittsburgh Steelers @ 4:25 ET - The Steelers got back TJ Watt and they dominated the Saints last week. However, this is not the Saints. This is a Bengals team that is coming off their bye week, playing with revenge, has won 5 of 7 games and that also gets back a key defensive player this week. DJ Reader is expected back for Cincinnati and he is a key for their run defense. Bengals already are having a solid season even with him missing time and now if the Steelers struggle to run the ball, a lot of pressure is going to be on inexperienced Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett. The rookie was sacked 6 times last week and with an angry Cincy team in town, things will not get any easier in this one for Pickett. The Steelers won the first meeting in Cincinnati in overtime but that was a turnover-fueled win as the Bengals had a massive yardage edge in that game. Also, a big reason Cincy is now so hot is because Joe Burrow is again playing like a star and then, as an added bonus, Joe Mixon was running great again in most recent game against Carolina. If the Bengals establish the run again here look out. The fact is that Cincinnati has won 5 of 7 thanks in part to scoring an average of 32.2 points per game in those 5 wins. As for the Steelers, they averaging only 14.6 ppg scored last 8 games since that OT win over Bengals to open the season and they have never scored more than 20 points in regulation time of any game this season. Pittsburgh just will not be able to keep up here and I expect a road rout to result. 10* CINCINNATI -3.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -6.5 @ Indianapolis Colts @ 1 ET - The Colts are now coached by Jeff Saturday instead of Frank Reich. Saturday had no head coaching experience other than the high school level and was an ESPN analyst prior to being hired by the Colts before the game at Las Vegas last week. I know they beat the Raiders but, just barely, and that is a Las Vegas team with a weak defense and that, with that defeat, is now 2-7 on the season. Now Indianapolis faces an team that is angry off its first loss of the season. So they go from facing a Raiders team that is now 2-7 to facing an Eagles team that was 8-0 heading into last week's action. This is going to be a huge test for the Colts and their very green head coach. I like Saturday. So this is nothing personal. He was a great player and seems like a great guy. I just think this is a virtually unheard of jump to a head coaching spot and even though he has delegated some things like play-calling, etc to others this is still a major undertaking. He survived, barely, against the Raiders in his first game on the sidelines but this is a different animal this week. The Eagles do have some injuries issues on both sides of the ball but they are still the vastly superior team in this match-up and they will win this one in a road rout. The Colts 5 losses have been by an average margin of 13 points. 6 of last 7 Eagles wins by 8 or more points. 10* PHILADELPHIA -6.5

Saturday CFB 10* Top Play Oklahoma Sooners -7 vs Oklahoma State Cowboys @ 7:30 ET - 5-4 team is favored by a full TD over a 7-3 team in a rivalry game. Looks funny, right? Don't let the line fool you. The Sooners being at home for this is big. QB Dillon Gabriel has been much better at home than on the road this season. Gabriel and the entire offense had a rough game at West Virginia last week and it was a 2nd straight 3-point loss for the Sooners. Keep in mind, all five of their wins this season have been by a double digit margin. Oklahoma is going to take advantage of Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders not being 100 percent. I know he came in last week to lead the Cowboys to the win versus Iowa State but he started the game on the bench for a reason. Also, that was at home against the Cyclones and now he is on the road and he and OSU now face their biggest rivals and those rivals are having a challenging season and have revenge on their minds. In other words, this is essentially Oklahoma's Championship Game if you will! They want revenge after the Cowboys snuck out the win in last season's meeting! That ended a streak of 6 straight wins for the Sooners in this series. Look for OU to get back to the winning side of things here. At home this season they have scored an average of 40 points per game! Oklahoma State has scored an average of only 12 points in their last 3 games heading into this one. The Cowboys have lost their last two road games by an average margin of 34.5 points. Another ugly defeat for OSU on the road is in the forecast here! 10* OKLAHOMA -7

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +2.5 @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:40 ET - Horrible spot for Philly. 2nd night of a B2B and off a hard-fought win versus Bucks last night. Already without Harden, Harris missed last night's game plus Maxey got hurt during the game. Embiid has been red hot for the Sixers but how will he be handled in the 2nd night of a B2B? The fact is that, all the way around, this is a tough spot for the 76ers and Minnesota has a big rest edge. The Timberwolves have disappointed so far this season as they have had some issues adjusting to the new roster they have after the big off-season changes. But this is still a solid Wolves team and they have the talent and the situational edges to get a big road win here. 10* MINNESOTA +2.5

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Washington State Cougars -3.5 @ Arizona Wildcats @ 2 ET - The Cougars have rival Washington on deck but the Wildcats have rival Arizona on deck so that is a wash. Washington State has 4 losses this season but 3 of the losses were to ranked teams! The other loss was at Oregon State but the Cougars did outgain the Beavers in that one so the final score was deceiving. The point is that this Washington State team is quite solid and they certainly have a much better defense than Arizona. The Wildcats are off a huge upset at UCLA as a nearly 3 TD underdog so this is a beautiful set-up for a letdown for Arizona. The Cats had lost 4 straight games prior to beating the Bruins. Arizona has not won B2B games all season. All 6 of their losses by at least 8 points and the average margin of defeat is 18.3 points! I know they shocked UCLA last week but, prior to that, Arizona's only 2 losses since winning their season opener were against an FCS school and a Colorado team that has played like an FCS school this season! In their 4 defeats prior to beating the Bruins, Arizona allowed 45 points or more in all 4 losses! The Cougars, on the other hand, have allowed only 19.3 points per game last 6 games. We get a favorable line because they are on the road and I won't hesitate to back the much better team here and much better defense at a very fair number here! 10* WASHINGTON STATE -3.5

CFB Friday 10* Top Play New Mexico Lobos +14.5 vs San Diego State Aztecs @ 9:45 ET - Yes the Lobos offense has been ugly. But this New Mexico defense is solid and there are situational aspects to this play that make it very unlikely the Aztecs will win this by more than a 2-TD margin so I am happy to grab the 14 plus the hook here in a game I expect to be decided by just a 1-score margin. San Diego State is hot and has won 4 of 5 but note this team is just 1-3 on the road this season. Their lone road win was by 16 points at Nevada but was helped by turnovers too. The Aztecs offense has been better since they switched to Mayden at QB but he threw for only 156 yards against the Wolf Pack. Also, he threw 2 interceptions in his other road start. Being successful on the road is not easy and I expect Mayden and the Aztecs to have some struggles here against a respectable Lobos defense that will be fired up here. This is the bowl game for New Mexico if you will. This is their home finale and has ended up being their biggest game of the season in an otherwise disappointing campaign. New Mexico Defensive Coordinator Rocky Long was the head coach at San Diego State for many years. Long will have his Lobos defense fired up for this one and I expect a tight low-scoring game here which should mean an easy cover for us. San Diego State off big game win versus San Jose State last week plus have another tough big game against Air Force on deck. This is a flat spot situation for the Aztecs whereas the fired up Lobos are fully focused here and want to get the shocker in their home finale. 10* NEW MEXICO +14.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -1.5 -115 or money line -125 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:40 ET - The Bucks have lost 3 of 5 and one of the two wins was in double-OT versus OKC. To say the least, Milwaukee has not been overly impressive. For sure the Bucks have had the Sixers number often in recent meetings but this Milwaukee team is still missing key guys and this looks like the perfect spot for the 76ers to finally exact some revenge. Embiid is back for Philly and they have won 3 of last 4 including all 3 home games. Also, he has averaged 40 points and 11 rebounds per game during this stretch and the Sixers are well rested heading into this one. Embiid also had 7 blocks in most recent game as he was dominant. He and the 76ers want this game badly because, as noted above, the Bucks have had their number. It is time for some payback here. The Bucks are in a shorter rest situation too in comparison with the Sixers. Home team should pull away and get revenge for the 2 point home loss to the Bucks that began Milwaukee's season. 10* PHILADELPHIA -1.5 -115 or -125

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Furman Paladins +3 or +3.5 vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 11:30 AM ET - This is the beauty of College Hoops. To Joe Public, everyone knows about Penn State as they have had a great football program through the years and are well-known in College sports. Conversely, few people know about Furman. But the Paladins are a solid College Hoops program. This line opened up nearly in a pick'em range but has shot up to as high as 3.5 on Penn State. I love fading line moves like this. Yes the Nittany Lions just beat Butler but the Bulldogs lost the game by 6 but were outscored by 15 points from deep. Poor 3-point shooting for Butler was the difference in the game. The Bulldogs had more shots from the field and more than twice as many free throw attempts yet the Nittany Lions got the win. Penn State was a little fortunate is my point. In this match-up the Paladins will find a way in their home state of South Carolina for this tournament in Charleston. Mike Bothwell continues to be a star for Furman and they just beat a solid Belmont team. Last year the Paladins looked like they were going to the Big Dance when they had a 2 point lead with under 4 seconds to go in the game but then lost on a desperation moon-shot 3-pointer miracle shot. Furman is on a mission this season. They have won both their games to start this season and are a very determined team. Penn State is solid but the Paladins are the better team in this match-up and so the fact we get a hungry underdog in their home state (yes they are 200 miles away but this is still their home state) is a value I will not pass up on. 10* FURMAN +3 or +3.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4 @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:10 ET - The Bulls are off back to back losses for the 4th time already this season. The good news for Chicago fans - and for us tonight - is that the Bulls are a PERFECT 3-0 this season when they enter a game off consecutive losses. As for the Pelicans, they are off B2B wins for just the 2nd time this season. They have yet to win 3 straight and I don't see that changing here. They managed to pull away from the Grizzlies in the 4th quarter last night. However, the Bulls will prove to be more determined tonight plus this is second night of back to back for New Orleans plus Zach Williamson missed last night's game and is hurting right now. The Bulls were up by 4 with about 5 minutes to go when these teams met in Chicago last week but the Pelicans rallied and ended up winning the game by 4. This is a revenge spot for the Bulls and I look for them to get it. Grab the points for the added insurance. 10* CHICAGO +4

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies +1.5 @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:30 ET - Ja Morant is expected back for Memphis tonight. Not only are the Grizzlies 9-3 this season in games in which he has played, they are also 3-0 this season when off a loss in which they scored less than 107 points! The Pelicans are off a win versus Houston but are 0-5 this season when off a win in which they scored less than 125 points! That sets this up as a double perfect year to date spot and I really like having this strong Grizzlies team hungry off a loss and catching a New Orleans team off a win but against one of the worst teams in the league this season as they hosted Houston. 10* MEMPHIS +1.5

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Appalachian State Mountaineers +6.5 @ Louisville Cardinals @ 6 ET - The Cardinals are 0-2 this season. Both losses were by a single point but Louisville was favored in each game by about the same amount they are for this one. I don't expect this one to end well for them either. They have a new coach this season and are a program that use to be so strong but now has won just 13 games each of the past two seasons. Like the Mountaineers, they lost a lot of starters from last season and had to reload the roster. The difference though is I really like the additions Appalachian State made in the transfer department entering this season. Also, the Mountaineers are already 2-0 this season and they just won a game in OT in which they had to hit a late 3 just to force OT. App St is feeling it right now as a result. Confidence is building. Granted they did not play tough teams, especially in their season opening blowout win but the Cards played two game they were supposed to win also and yet lost them both. Louisville will be in a dogfight just to win this game let alone cover the spread. 10* APPALACHIAN STATE +6.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs +8 @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:10 ET - Spurs off upset win over Bucks and Warriors off upset loss at Sacramento last night. Looks easy to just play GS, right? Not in today's NBA. These guys are paid so many millions and are athletes in elite shape but they can't dare play in a B2B situation, right? At least according to Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, that seems to be the case. Hard to say who will be on the floor for the Warriors tonight and I am sure at least some of the key pieces will be sitting because of how Kerr has handled these B2B spots recently. One thing I do know is the pesky Spurs will come into this one hungry and playing with confidence after knocking off the Bucks. San Antonio should field their normal roster and though they are still rebuilding and are young, they are well-coached and the Spurs have given Warriors good games in recent meetings. Look for this to be another tight one. 10* SAN ANTONIO +8

NFL Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -10.5 vs Washington Commanders @ 8:15 ET - I do not normally like to lay big lines but I feel we have a lot of line value here. I like the fact that the Eagles are off a non-covering win last Thursday at Houston against the Texans. This is helping to give us some line value here. I know the Texans are not a very good team but still that game was at Houston and the Eagles were favored by 14. If you look at the lines for next Sunday's games the Eagles are favored by about the same as the 10.5 here versus Washington even though they are at Indianapolis next week! So the point is that, at home and playing with extra rest, this is a value spot in a game the Eagles should win by at least two touchdowns! The Commanders have played two divisional games so far and lose them both by at least 15 points! Also, Washington allowed 30.5 ppg in their first two road games this season. I know they then beat the Bears in Chicago but they were very fortunate in that one as they were outstatted by nearly a 2 to 1 ratio 391 yards to 214 yards! Yes they beat the Colts on the road but that is truly the one "feather in the cap" the Commanders have in terms of a truly successful road effort this season. That said, the Eagles are not the Colts! Philly is undefeated and showing no signs of slowing down and they have not had B2B ATS losses this season! Look for a big home win and cover here as the Commanders just don't have the offense to keep up here and I am sure the Eagles defense is going to "bring it" in a home game in which they are hosting a divisional foe. 10* PHILADELPHIA -10.5

CFL Sunday 10* Top Play BC Lions +4 or +4.5 @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 4:30 ET - It will be very cold in Winnipeg - as you would expect for November - and so there is a lot of talk of whether or not the Lions can handle that. BC plays their home games in a dome. However, it is not as if their roster is loaded with players who have not played cold weather football. It is also not as if Winnipeg has played a ton of cold weather football this season either. It is just now getting cold in Canada and both teams will be prepared for it. That aside, I feel all the pressure is on Winnipeg here. The Blue Bombers are trying to make it a 3-peat. They have won the Grey Cup each of the last two seasons so certainly they have post-season experience and know how to handle all the various playoff pressure scenarios. However, they had a bye last week and also had a bye right before the final game of the regular season for them which was also essentially a bye because it was a meaningless game for both the Bombers and the Lions when they met in Week 21. So, considering all these factors, I like the fact that BC has played more meaningful football recently as they just faced Calgary last week to open up the post-season in a win or go home game! Now the Lions have an "us and against the world" mentality and they know they are the big dogs here and everyone expects Winnipeg to advance for another Grey Cup. Don't be surprised when this one turns into an upset. Lions now have Rourke back under center and they are a high quality team even without WR Whitehead. They beat a great Calgary team last week and keep the momentum going here. I look for the Lions to advance to their first Grey Cup since, ironically, they beat the Blue Bombers to win it all about a decade ago in 2011! Grab the points here. 10* BC +4 or +4.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers +4 vs Dallas Cowboys @ 4:25 ET - Dallas is off their bye week. Prior to that, lets take a look at their last 5 games. 4 of the games were against teams that currently have a losing record. The combined record of those teams is now 12-22 on the season. The other game was against the Eagles and Dallas lost by double digits. The point is that Cowboys are over-rated here. This line is saying that Dallas would be a 7 point favorite on a neutral field. I am not buying that. Green Bay has been turnover prone and has had issues for sure. But note that this Packers team has had only 3 home games this season. They won 2 of the 3. The one they lost was after they came back from the UK. No, that is not an automatic excuse to lose a game but it is not a normal scheduling spot especially when you are not afforded a bye week after going to the UK. The fact is that Green Bay can, and will, respond here. Their loss to Detroit was turnover-driven. I feel that road loss to the Lions will prove to be rock bottom for the Pack. I know it is not easy to call a "bottom" for a team or a market (stocks for example) but the fact is I sense it strongly here. Green Bay is much better than they have shown this season and here is their chance at home to get back on track and make a statement against a Cowboys team they have beaten in 8 of last 9 meetings. The fact we are getting sizable points here to work with as an underdog is an added bonus. Keep in mind the Packers first 5 losses this season were to teams that currently have a combined 29-13 record. The loss to the Lions was the first shocker so to speak and I believe it will serve to be a wake-up call. Green Bay might be destined to battle for the final wild card spot now in the NFC post-season race. But the Packers are still very much alive in that race as the current spot-holder is only at .500 on the season. Pack get back on track here and Cowboys struggles in bigger games - they are known for disappointing in spots like this - continues here. 10* GREEN BAY +4

NFL Sunday 8* Buffalo Bills -6.5 vs Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - I am expecting Josh Allen to play here and, either way, Buffalo to roll at home. The only road game that the Vikings have had this season that is comparable to this is they played at Philly this season. They lost that game by 17 points. Buffalo is 6-2 this season and the Vikes now a surprising 7-1 but the Bills are most definitely the stronger team and we have line value here. Without a doubt this line would be above a TD if not for the Allen injury. As we have reached gameday now it looks more and more likely that he will go and the Bills are angry off a loss. Buffalo has won all 3 home games by a double digit margin this season. The average margin of victory in those games was 26 points! 8* BUFFALO -6.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder +5.5 @ New York Knicks @ 12:10 ET - The Thunder and Knicks each off big wins Friday. The thing is that Oklahoma City knows they need to get their road game going better. They have struggled away from home this season. Sometimes these early starts on a Sunday can be tough on teams and they can be sluggish. That makes it harder for a favorite to pull away and cover the spread and this one is in the half-dozen range. Plus I like the motivation factor for OKC wanting to improve their road play. Look for them to be the more focused club in this one and the Knicks have not won B2B games in two weeks so I am going to challenge them here and I like having the points on our side with a team I feel has a great shot to win outright given the intangibles of this one. Thunder have been scrappy early this season and just took the Bucks to double OT recently too. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY +5.5

NFL Sunday 8* Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5 vs Seattle Seahawks @ 9:30 AM ET (Munich, Germany) - The Seahawks have played 5 games away from Seattle and allowed 31 ppg! The Bucs have played 4 games away from Tampa and have allowed 13.5 ppg! Fade the masses as the Hawks are the hot ATS team and TB has been cold ATS but the better defense and stronger passing attack on offense will key the victory here. Buccaneers D has been getting healthier again of late too. 8* TAMPA BAY -2.5

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Baylor Bears -2.5 vs Kansas State Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Bears opened up favored at 3.5 and even as high as -5 at some of the earliest posting shops. Baylor is down to a 2.5 as of game day very early morning. Everyone is seeing that a ranked team is getting points here and everyone sees the stats that Bears were fortunate to beat Sooners at Oklahoma last week. Also, everyone sees that Wildcats deserved better at home against Texas last week. However, this is just all leading to exceptional line value here with a Baylor team that plays different when at home and is catching Kansas State off 3 straight emotional games and that is on the road for the first time in 3 weeks! The Wildcats had a chance to knock off undefeated TCU and did not then they won a huge home game against Oklahoma but fell short against Texas. That is 3 straight very big games for the Cats. Note that they have averaged scoring just 19 points per game last two road games and could be emotionally spent here. Also, the Bears have won 4 straight meetings with Kansas State! The Bears have one home loss this season but they outgained Oklahoma State by nearly 100 yards in the surprising defeat. Their other 3 home games have been won by a combined score of 146 to 40. That includes a Big 12 win over an improved Kansas team in which the Bears had 28 first downs compared to just 11 for the Jayhawks! Remember Baylor is coming off a huge season last year and yes they have regressed a little but this is still a very strong, very well-coached team, that loves to play in Waco and will be riled up for a huge win here over the Wildcats. Fade the line move as the Bears improve to 11-1 their last 12 home games! They are strong here and I do not trust this Kansas State team on the road off of 3 straight huge games. This is a tough spot for them and they will struggle to keep up with the strong offense that the Bears have. 10* BAYLOR -2.5

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions -10.5 vs Maryland Terrapins @ 3:30 ET - Maryland just got blasted at Wisconsin and has failed to cover 4 straight games. Not only is this a B2B road game situation for the Terrapins, they will be facing a very motivated Nittany Lions team. Yes, Penn State did win at Maryland last season but they also have not forgotten the Terps last visit to State College. That was in the pandemic-impacted 2020 season and the Nittany Lions lost 35-19 despite having nearly twice as many first downs in the game. PSU was about a 4 TD favorite in that game but was done in by a 3-0 turnover deficit and got embarrassed at home. The Lions will be ready for payback here and, with this line dropping a little bit, I feel we have excellent value here. The average margin of victory in Penn State's last 6 wins is 25.5 points. All 6 were by a double digit margin. The Nittany Lions most recent home game was a loss to Ohio State and, as noted above, they did lose to Maryland last time they met here. Those two factors mean that the Nittany Lions will be very focused here. Insuring that focus is the fact they have Rutgers (1-4 in Big Ten action) on deck. Lay it and look for the hosts to pull away as this game gets into the 2nd half. 10* PENN STATE -10.5

Romania Liga 1 Saturday 10* Top Play Rapid Goal Line PK +100/+105 vs Universitatea Craiova @ 1:30 ET - Both clubs had been playing well but Rapid is off a loss to rival FCSB last week and then lost in Cupa action in mid-week to a very strong Farul club. Both defeats were by a 2-goal margin. That sets this one up well for a home victory. I really like the way Rapid has been playing and like having them here off those defeats. Rapid has been playing a very tough schedule of late and will make the most of this home match against Universitatea Craiova. Yes the visitors have won 9 of 16 this season but the hosts have lost just 5 of 17 matches. I feel we have good value on the goal line here as the pick'em in this case turns a draw into a push at the betting window. Rapid is undefeated (6-0-2) at home this season. Universitatea Craiova has won last two matches away from home but this was preceded by 3 straight losses as travelers in league action! 10* RAPID Goal Line PK +100/+105

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -7 @ Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - The Suns recently lost Cameron Johnson to injury but then, even without Chris Paul, they knocked off the Timberwolves at Minnesota by a double digit margin. Not only have the Suns won 7 of 9, all 7 of the victories have been by at least 9 points. That said, and especially with Paul likely coming back tonight, I am not going to hesitate to lay the 7 points here with one of the best teams in the NBA against one of the worst. Even if Paul is not back, note that Payne had a huge game filling in for him against the T-wolves. Also, Orlando is off a rare win as Mavericks shot horrific in that game and the Magic stole it even though they were without Banchero. He has an ankle injury so he could miss again here. Ankle sprains are not easy to come back from and he already missed one game and would not surprise me if they hold him out since next game not until Monday. So he can rest up some more this would be the logical thing to do. Even the Magic must know this is not likely to be a winnable game but Monday they host a bad Charlotte team. Will see how smart Orlando management is on this one but Banchero should not play. Either way I look for the better team to win and to continue their trend of winning games by at least 9 points. Note that the Magic were 2-9 this season before they got the shocking upset over Dallas. Lightning will not strike twice. 10* PHOENIX -7

NFL Thursday 10* Top Play Carolina Panthers +2.5 vs Atlanta Falcons @ 8:15 ET - Could be some rainy plus possibly windy and ugly weather in Carolina tonight. The hurricane that moved into Florida is bringing rain up to the Charlotte region and it is expected to be here for the entirety of this game. Look for the ugliness to help the home dog Panthers as they have the better defense in this match-up. Yes they just got throttled at Cincinnati but they are 2-3 at home this season including 2-0 in divisional home games. Carolina won those two home games versus the Bucs and Saints by a combined score of 43 to 17. I look for them to step here at home again. As for the Falcons, they are just 1-3 on the road this season and have allowed 27.5 points per game on the road this year. There is a reason that Atlanta is such a small favorite here over a team that is 2-7 on the season! Don't let the line fool you. The home dog is the play here. 10* CAROLINA +2.5 

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys -8 vs Southern Illinois Salukis @ 8 ET - Both teams off wins but OSU was rather unimpressive in theirs while S Ill rolled on the scoreboard in theirs. I love spots like this because it creates solid line value. The Salukis actually won by 31 points but had 9 less shot attempts from the field than Little Rock did. How is that possible? Well Southern Illinois shot lights out while struggled badly including 3 of 18 from 3 point land and 8 of 18 from the free throw line! Southern Illinois was great from the field in this game and also were able to dominate the glass against Little Rock. So the key here is that none of those things are likely to be repeated here. Now the Salukis are on the road and facing a Big 12 program and Stillwater is not an easy place to play. Look for the Cowboys, with a talented backcourt and strong team depth, to roll to a win by double digits at home in this one. OSU is off a disappointing campaign so they are hungry to make amends this season. The fact the Cowboys only won their opener by 11 against UT Arlington even though they were favored by 21 only strengthens this spot. Oklahoma State should shoot much better than 6 of 25 from 3-point land in this one! 10* OKLAHOMA STATE -8

CFB Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Tigers -6.5 vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ 7:30 ET - Tulsa has QB issues. Brin has been hurting and, even if he plays, he has been throwing too many picks lately. The other option for the Golden Hurricane QB is Braxton but he is a freshman and would be making a road start here against an angry Memphis team that has lost 4 straight games and is ready for a huge bounce back here. The Tigers are much better than their record shows and this is their final AAC home game of the season. In a primetime situation on a Thursday night, I look for Memphis to put on a show in this one! Beautiful weather expected for this one and the Tigers can put up huge points at home in this one. I just don't think, even though Memphis D is not a strength, that Tulsa can keep up here given their QB situation. The Golden Hurricane have just 3 wins this season and they have come against a Northern Illinois team that entered this week with a 2-7 record. Also an FCS school, Jacksonville State, and a Temple team that is 1-4 in conference games this season. Tulsa's last 5 losses all by at least 8 points and the average margin of defeat has been 15 points. As for Memphis, yes they have been losing but they faced some tough match-ups and lost some tight games too. The Tigers will take advantage here of taking a step down in level of opposition. Keep in mind, Memphis lost by a single point then lost a game in 4-OT, then lost B2B games against teams that were ranked in Top 25. The Tigers 4 wins this season all by double digit margins and average margin of victory was 17 points. Getting them at under a TD here is a great bargain price. Look for huge home win in a statement game for the Tigers. 10* MEMPHIS -6.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -3.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Yes this is a back to back for Dallas and we did lose with them last night. However, the Mavericks had a simply awful shooting night and that was the difference in the game. I certainly do not expect a repeat of that here. That said, some perfect trends in play here too. Dallas is 3-0 this season when off a SU loss and all 3 wins have been by at least 4 points. The line on this game is 3 or 3.5 and I feel we can lay it with confidence. That's because Washington is off a win and they are 0-3 last 3 times they were off a SU victory this season. All 3 losses were by a double digit margin including the most recent one coming by 42 points in a blowout defeat. Double perfect trends here favoring the Mavs. Lay it. 10* DALLAS -3.5

CFB Wednesday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes -2.5 @ Bowling Green Falcons @ 7 ET - Love the set-up and the motivational/pressure factors in this one plus the line. Why would Kent State be favored by 2.5 on the road when they are 3-6 on the season and Bowling Green is having a winning season including 4-1 in MAC play? Exactly! Don't let the line fool you here. The Golden Flashes have played the much tougher schedule overall as well as within the MAC. The Falcons are over-rated right now. Kent State certainly has the much better offense in this match-up with Schlee back under center. Also, all the pressure is on Bowling Green here. With Ohio University's win last night, BG needs a win here to maintain a tie atop the MAC East standings and plus Buffalo (in action tonight) is in the mix as well. That said, Falcons are feeling pressure while Golden Flashes looking to play the role of spoiler. Kent State has won 4 straight meetings and by a combined score of 186 to 92. All 4 wins have been by at least 7 points so were are testing a 100% streak here and the Golden Flashes have truly dominated this period as they have doubled up the Falcons in total points the past 4 years. Kent State averaging 28 points scored in their 5 MAC games but is off a tight loss last week. Bowling Green is on a 3-game winning streak but has scored an average of only 18 points last 4 MAC games! The Falcons have not had a 4-game winning streak since the 2015 season! They are over-rated right now and playing with pressure they are not use to. The Golden Flashes take advantage. 10* KENT STATE -2.5

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Davidson Wildcats -3.5 @ Wright State Raiders @ 7 ET - The Wildcats have the stronger backcourt in this match-up. That is important early in the season. I like the Raiders frontcourt but have some concerns about their guard play and feel they could struggle a bit early on this season. Yes Davidson has a new coach but he has been the assistant there for years under his father and he himself was a strong scorer for this program about two decades ago. The point is that he is experienced in the program and had been working with his Dad here for about two decades and I think Davidson is going to be rock solid yet again this season. Yes they lost some of their playing rotation from last season but so too did Wright State. The Wildcats are a fantastic program and remember that the Raiders did start off slow out of the gates last season in non-conference action too. Look for that to be the case again this season as they go through some early-season growing pains in the backcourt in particular. 10* DAVIDSON -3.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -6 @ Orlando Magic @ 5:30 ET - The Magic are tied with Rockets for worst record in the NBA and just let Houston score a ton of points against them and shoot lights out from the field. The point is that Orlando, other than rookie forward Paolo Banchero, is really having a rough start to this season. Making matters even worse here is that if Banchero even plays in this game he could be limited by an ankle sprain. I am away that Hardaway could miss this game for Mavericks but his injury seems less serious and is not an ankle. Don't be surprised if he plays and is very effective. Even if he does not play, the other guys who would get a lot of minutes in his absence are Finney-Smith and Josh Green and they are coming off huge games as is Luka Doncic as he continues to dominate. The Magic have one OT loss in last 8 defeats but the other 7 were are all by at least 6 points. Dallas has a lot of tight wins this season but they have won 4 straight games and that includes 9 point win over Orlando. I really believe Banchero could miss this game but, even if he plays, he will not be himself 100% and that is a key detriment for the Magic. By the way, Mavs have allowed just 102 ppg last 4 games while Orlando, not including OT points, has allowed 120.4 points last 5 games. Big difference in terms of level of defense when comparing these two teams. 10* DALLAS -6

NFL Monday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints +1.5 vs Baltimore Ravens @ 8:15 ET - Ravens off B2B wins but were on a 3-9 SU run dating back to last season prior to getting these consecutive wins. Also, even though they have extra rest since they had the Thursday night game last week, it is still not easy to go on the road again and win B2B road games. Since Dalton has taken over at QB for the Saints, they have averaged 30 points per game last 5 games. Ravens have averaged 22 points per game last 5 games. The Ravens do have a bye on deck but have covered just once the last seven times they have a bye week on deck. The Saints have the much better passing offense in this match-up plus the Ravens pass defense has been an issue this season as they rank as one of the worst. New Orleans defense builds off last week's strong performance. Also, Saints let a receiver go back to the practice squad which means they are now expecting more from some of the guys that had been banged up. Strong team effort gets the home win as confidence is building with Dalton under center for the Saints. 10* NEW ORLEANS +1.5

CBB Monday 10* Top Play La Salle Explorers +15 @ Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - This is an intriguing match-up because it is an all-Philly game and, as always, the little brother wants to prove they can compete with the big brother. What has added to the intrigue here is La Salle has Fran Duphy (a 1970 Explorers graduate) and his 30 years of head coaching experience patrolling the sideline. At the same time, Villanova no longer has Jay Wright on the sideline and it will be strange to see the Wildcats without Wright patrolling the sideline. Kyle Neptune has only one year of head coaching experience. To his credit, Neptune has experience within the Wildcats program and helped recruit a lot of this current roster. Still I like the head coaching edge of Dunphy over Neptune and also note that guard play is so key early in the season in particular. It helps teams get comfortable in the early going of the season when teams are still trying to work out the kinks. That said, I like the depth of the Explorers in terms of their backcourt and will note that Villanova lost a lot from last year's backcourt. Of course Nova still the better team and should win this by a range of 7 to 9 points but I would not be surprised to see the Explorers, led by Dunphy, to hang around in this Philly battle much longer than many expect and it should not be a blowout as a result. 10* LA SALLE +15

CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats +1.5 @ Montreal Alouettes @ 1 ET - Montreal has the home field edge here but there is a reason this line is practically a pick'em even though Hamilton was 2-7 SU on the road this season! Keep in mind the Ti-Cats are loaded with experience from key playoff runs in recent seasons plus they were the hotter team down the stretch this season. Montreal faded a bit late in terms of level of play and I am taking the team that is peaking at the right time to get the job done Sunday in the opener of the post-season. 10* HAMILTON +1.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Vikings -3 @ Washington Commanders @ 1 ET - The Vikings are 6-1 this season. Their only loss was to Philadelphia. Yes, to the now 8-0 Eagles. The point is that Minnesota is winning every game they are supposed to win. However, because the Vikes are on a 2-4 ATS run, the betting markets are not exactly enamored with them. Yes the Commanders have won 3 straight games but they were severely outstatted by the Bears in the victory that started this win streak. They then beat a Packers team that is now on a 4-game losing streak and has been the most disappointing team in the NFL compared to expectations for the season. Then they beat a Colts team that has been another significant under-achiever this season. Truly, other than a solid game in a loss against the Titans (but they caught Tennessee in 2nd straight road game off key divisional win), the Commanders have not impressed this season. They have been blown out by the tough teams they faced (Cowboys and Eagles). Their other 5 games besides the 3 that I just mentioned were against teams with a combined record of 12-26-1 this season. So the Vikings at just -3 in this game basically just have to win the game for us to get the money. This is, like I said, a Minny team that has only one loss this season and it was to the still-undefeated Eagles. I really like Minnesota here because they just had a bye week two weeks ago. Washington still has not had a bye. They are playing for a 9th straight week. They have not played in the same city twice in consecutive weeks this season. It has been home/road/home/road, etc all season long. The Commanders need a bye. They are not getting it yet and I see the better team prevailing here and covering along the way. One final note of importance, the Commanders Super Bowl is next week. That's right, a chance to knock off the undefeated division rival Eagles. Set-ups don't get much better than this one in my opinion. Vikings all day! 10* MINNESOTA -3

Saturday CFB 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys +1.5 @ Kansas Jayhawks @ 3:30 ET - I know there are major questions at quarterback for both teams entering this one. I know the markets have moved toward Kansas in this game. I am happy to grab the extra value on a well-coached Oklahoma State team that is off a thoroughly embarrassing 48-0 loss last week. Keep in mind, the Cowboys have beaten the Jayhawks 12 straight times. Also, OSU was 6-1 SU and ATS prior to that loss last week to the Wildcats. The only loss that Okla St had suffered this season, prior to last week, was a defeat in double-OT. In other words, I feel we have seen a severe over-reaction to last week's result and we are getting value with a Cowboys team that is sure to come out angry and focused for this game. I know Jayhawks are better than past teams but their defense has been very bad too. Though Kansas enters this game off a bye, they had lost 3 straight games and by an average margin of 10 points per defeat before that week off. Lets not forget that OSU was a top ten team entering last week's game. They should bounce back strong here no matter the QB situation for either side. I know the emotion that Cowboys are going to bring to this team under coach Gundy! Look for the 12-0 run in favor of the Cowboys in meetings between these foes to make it 13 in a row! 10* OKLAHOMA STATE +1.5

Saturday CFB 10* Penn State Nittany Lions -13.5 @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 3:30 ET - Looks like most of the weather is going to move through before this game gets underway so this one is a go for me after having to wait it out a bit. Penn State should roll to a huge win here just like they did after losing badly at Michigan last month. The Nittany Lions turned around and rolled the Gophers. Yes this time the Lions are on the road and Indiana is off a bye week but this Hoosiers team has lost 5 straight games. This included a loss to Rutgers in their most recent game and they lost WR Cam Camper to a season-ending ACL injury in that one too! Sean Clifford had huge numbers for PSU versus Ohio State last week but also had turnover problems. He has been challenged by his head coach as a result of that and I expect he and this Penn State offense to attack a bad Hoosiers defense all day long in this one! On the other side of the ball, the Indiana offense has struggled in recent games and losing their top WR certainly will not help matters. The Hoosiers already have 3 losses by 14 or more points and this one should fall into this category as well. Be warned that there is a chance that Lions could start a little slow out of the gate, though I am not expecting that, but the Lions will come ROARING back either way as they are just too much for this bad Hoosiers team. 10* PENN STATE -13.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans -4 vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:40 ET - The Pelicans are off an unbelieve, inexcusable OT loss at Los Angeles when they missed 2 free throws with under 2 seconds to go in the game. That then allowed the Lakers get off a 3 at the buzzer which did go in to force OT. After LA won the game in OT you know New Orleans is going to be extremely fired up here. Not only that, the Pelicans are getting back Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones for this game. Those reinforcements will help and what also helps is they are catching the Warriors in a back to back. Golden State has been getting good production from their starting five. But the Warriors bench has struggled and that means if the Warriors starters are worn out from the B2B than this one sets up to be very tough sledding for GS. Look for NO to take advantage. the Pelicans will run them right out of the arena and Golden State has been struggling defensively so this sets up for a big-time home blowout here. 10* NEW ORLEANS -4 

NHL Friday 10* Top Play Buffalo Sabres Puck Line +1.5 goals -140 @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - This is an excellent situational spot that favors the road dog. I was really tempted to take Buffalo at big plus money on the money line but we'll go the safer route in case Carolina claws their way back to win this game late or in OT or SO and it ends up being a one-goal game. The key here is that the Sabres should get the jump on the Hurricanes off a huge win at Tampa Bay last night. Carolina got the tying goal in the 3rd period and then won the game in the shootout. Beating Vasilevskiy and the Lightning in Tampa is a big deal and I could see the Canes being flat here for this one and they are in the 2nd day of a B2B. By the way Carolina at -1.5 goals on the puck line would be 0-7 last 7 games as they have 4 wins by 1 goal (and only one of those wins was in regulation!) and they have 3 losses in this stretch. As for the Sabres at +1.5 goals on the season they would be 9-1 (90%) as they are 7-3 on the season and only 1 of their losses was by more than 1 goal. So here were are testing a spot for Buffalo that is 90% this season and also testing a go-against situation fading the Hurricanes that has worked in 7 straight games for a 100% run which favors the Sabres here as well. 10* BUFFALO +1.5 goals -140

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -7.5 vs Washington Wizards @ 6:10 ET - The Wizards have not been traveling far but still they are bouncing around quite a bit right now. Washington was at home than on the road at Boston then at home versus 76ers and now on the road at Philly to face the Sixers again. This is also a 4 games in 6 days situation for Washington so this is all part of their toughest test so far this season in terms of scheduling. I like the fact that the Sixers, even without Embiid, were able to win by 7 on the road at Washington Monday. This is a Philly team that is finally starting to find its footing. The 76ers have won 3 straight games on the road and also won their last home game by 14 points. I look for them to build their run to 4 straight wins even if Embiid is not back tonight.  But I do expect him back and also want to note that even though they are not stars, Kispert and Wright being out for the Wizards is still taking away a couple guys that average about 24 minutes a game. They are rotation players that Washington wants to use as part of the core group for the team! As for the Sixers, the only current "injury" situation was Embiid's illness and I would be surprised if he misses tonight's game. Look for the Wizards to run out of gas as this game goes on and the deeper Sixers again take advantage just like they did Monday with their big 3rd quarter in DC leading to solid win. 10* PHILADELPHIA -7.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +5 or +5.5 @ Phoenix Suns @ 10 ET - When something looks too good to be true it usually is. Keep in mind, Phoenix is 4-0 at home this season and the Suns enter this game on a 4-game winning streak in which all 4 wins were by a double digit margin. That said, how can the Suns have opened up as only a 4-point favorite at home? Exactly! Sure enough this line is already up to as high as a 5.5 in some spots and I love being a contrarian in situations like this. Minnesota went out and made the big move for Gobert in the off-season because they want to be a force to be reckoned with. To prove they have indeed arrived in the Western Conference, the Wolves must prove they can compete with one of the best teams in the West (and in all of NBA) in the form of the Suns. I feel Minny is going to be extra hungry here as a result and I love having the handful of points being offered here too as an outright upset would not surprise me in the least. If the Wolves do fall short, look for it to be by the slimmest of margins. 10* MINNESOTA +5 or +5.5

NFL Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Browns +3.5 vs Cincinnati Bengals @ 8:15 ET - Waiting has paid off as we are starting to see +3.5 show up on this game for Cleveland and I love the home dog in this spot. Cincinnati, and deservedly so, is receiving high praise for their defense. But note that the Browns are off a great defensive effort at Baltimore and held the Ravens to just 254 yards but lost the game due to losing the turnover battle. Yes Cleveland is an ugly 2-5 on the season but 4 of their 5 losses have been by 3 or less points. Again, another reason I love the fact we can now get 3 plus the hook in this one with the Browns. As for the Bengals, they are 4-3 on the season but their wins are against teams that are a combined 17-15 on the season. They also have lost to a Pittsburgh team that is 2-6 this season. I am not saying that Cincinnati is not the better team in comparison with the Browns. I am just saying that this is a tough spot for them here in my opinion as Cleveland has won 7 of the last 8 meetings and gives them a lot of trouble. Also, the Browns back home off a tight road loss while Bengals on the road after a blowout road win. These set ups often work out well for the hosts and particularly when they are a home dog! The Browns have been just as solid as Bengals in terms of pass defense and they also are the much better rushing team on offense. 10* CLEVELAND +3.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards are playing in a B2B for the first time this season and yesterday's game was on the road at Boston. This is also a 3 games in 4 days situation for Washington so it is their toughest test so far this season in terms of scheduling. Yes, the Wizards get the benefit of being at home for this one but that is also helping to keep this line very manageable on a Philly team that is finally starting to find its footing. The 76ers have won B2B games on the road and will be hosting the Wizards on Wednesday so they are fully focused on Washington here and I look for them to build their run to 3 straight wins! Look for the Wizards to run out of gas as this game goes on and the rested Sixers take advantage. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +8 vs Golden State Warriors @ 6 ET - Back to back spot for Warriors who are winless on the road this season and they went into overtime at Charlotte last night so not a good situation here. Not only could Steph Curry and company need a little extra rest tonight, Jordan Poole is dealing with an ankle injury. The Pistons are off to a rough start to this season but they will take advantage of facing Golden State in a tough situation for the Warriors. You also know the home team will be up about having Curry and Company in town for this one. 10* DETROIT +8

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Tennessee Titans Pick or +1 @ Houston Texans @ 4:05 ET - The Titans Ryan Tannehill is out for this game. Malik Willis gets the start. I know he is an NFL rookie. I know he did not look good in preseason. But he started his college career at an SEC school, Auburn, and then went to Liberty so he could get playing time. He is a true dual-threat QB and in his two seasons at Liberty he threw for 47 touchdowns and ran for 27 touchdowns! He is not facing a great defense here. Also, unlike preseason, he is working with all the starting talent around him. This Titans team is first in the AFC South and this Texans teams is dead last in the division and one of the worst teams teams in the league. I think this is a classic case of value being created by an injury situation. Tennessee is the much better team and now is not even favored here and they have a strong ground game and will do damage on the ground here. The only team in the AFC with fewer losses than the Titans is the Bills. The Texans are tied with the Lions as the only teams in the NFL that have only 1 win on the season. There is simply a much bigger disparity between these teams than what this line is reflecting and we can take advantage of the added value. Houston's only win this season was against (now 2-5) Jacksonville. Tennessee has a game at Kansas City on deck so they know they need this game against the Texans. The Titans want to maintain their hold on the top spot of the division and next week's game at KC will be tough. Look for them to be fully focused here and everyone dialed in on offense to help Willis along and the result will be a surprisingly solid win here! 10* TENNESSEE Pick or +1

NFL Sunday 8* Chicago Bears +10 @ Dallas Cowboys @ 1 ET - The Cowboys did beat Detroit 24-6 last week but they were down at the half and, with THREE minutes to go in the ENTIRE GAME, Dallas was up only 10-6. They scored 2 late touchdowns to make for a deceiving final score in their win over the Lions. As for the Bears beating the Patriots, Chicago had 24 first downs and the Pats had just 12. That was a dominating win and was at New England. I am not here to tell you that Chicago wins this game outright. I just feel that the Bears getting double digits is far too much. Dak Prescott is still coming back from a thumb injury. The Bears confidence is growing and remember they should have beaten Washington 2 weeks ago as they had a huge yardage edge in that game. We are getting value with a solid defensive team that also can get yardage on the ground because Fields is a very dangerous QB with his legs too. This can give a solid Cowboys D some issues and this game will be decided by just 1 score in my opinion. 8* CHICAGO +10

NFL Sunday 8* Denver Broncos +2.5 vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ 9:30 AM ET at Wembley Stadium in London, UK - Getting 2.5 points with the Broncos is a great value here. They have the much better defense in this match-up. I know their offense has been bad but Denver's Russell Wilson took a week off to rest up and the Broncos have a bye on deck so he can go all out here. I have a feeling that Wilson is going to end up being the star of this game. Keep in mind, the Jaguars are on a 3-14 ATS run. I know Denver has been bad too but I trust their defense in this match-up and feel the Broncos offense is going to be better in this one because of the Wilson situation. They will be rejuvenated here and two of Bronco's recent losses in OT and they are catching a Jacksonville team that has lost 4 straight games by an average of 7 points apiece. 8* DENVER +2.5

CFB Saturday 8* Oklahoma State Cowboys +1.5 @ Kansas State Wildcats @ 3:30 ET - The Cowboys have been a covering machine this season and they enter this game red hot ATS. Not only that, Kansas State is off a loss at TCU plus won their prior game by just a single point and already lost a home game versus Tulane this season too. Also, the Wildcats are hosting an OSU team that has performed well as a Big 12 road dog under Gundy and I love the fact the line has flipped here. The Cowboys have gone from being the favorite to the dog in this one. Kansas State did beat Oklahoma by a TD this season but that win is looking less impressive now that the Sooners have struggled so much this season. The point is that I am not a believer in the Cats being a very solid 5-2 team. The Cowboys, in my opinion, are a very strong 6-1 team that suffered it's only loss this season in double OT! OSU is off big win versus Texas but Cowboys do NOT have a penchant for letdowns under Gundy. His team will be ready here and having a veteran QB like Spencer Sanders is a HUGE plus as well! 8* OKLAHOMA STATE +1.5

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions +15.5 vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ Noon ET - Remember when Penn State was so awful against Michigan and got blasted by the Wolverines? Yes? Well, so does everyone else and that is impacting this line. You know who remembers it the most? These Nittany Lions! They are at home and with a chance to make up for that embarrassment. They know they are better than that. They are not Ohio State and they are HIGHLY unlikely to beat the Buckeyes here. However, in my opinion, they also are HIGHLY unlikely to lose this game by more than 2 TDs. In fact, I expect this game to be decided by a single score as PSU has something to prove here and is capable of playing tough hard-nosed football against a very strong OSU team here. 10* PENN STATE +15.5

Romania Liga 1 Saturday 10* Top Play FC Voluntari Goal Line PK -130 vs Petrolul Ploiesti @ Noon ET - We could take plus money on the money line here but then if the match ends in a draw we lose our bet. By playing the goal line at a pick'em, a draw is a push with our bet. I do expect a win here or I would not be betting it, but I will have the added insurance of playing this on the goal line. This is great spot for FC Voluntari as they are off an ugly 3-0 loss on their home pitch. They are ready to bounce back strong here and they will take advantage of a Petrolul Ploiesti that has lost 3 straight road matches by a combined score of 5 to 2. Note that FC Voluntari, prior to ugly loss last week, was on a 5-match unbeaten streak which including winning both home matches by a combined score of 4 to 1. The home/road dichotomy here is a big difference maker. 10* FC Voluntari PK -130

Friday CFB 10* Top Play BYU Cougars -3 vs East Carolina Pirates @ 8 ET - This is as much a play against East Carolina as it is a play on BYU and, trust me, the Pirates are solid and respectable team. But I think the difference in the current level of these two programs is not being properly estimated by the betting markets here. Not only that, traveling West for a weekday game is not easy and is not something the Pirates are really use to either. They have been particularly spoiled by their early season schedule. That, to me, is one of the biggest keys here. I personally do not feel the AAC is a very strong conference. Yes, Cincinnati and UCF have had their moments in recent seasons but this is still not a Power 5 Conference like the SEC or Big 12 or Big Ten or ACC or Pac-12. So far this season East Carolina's toughest game had been versus NC State and though they fell just short that tight loss is becoming less impressive with each successive ATS loss that the Wolfpack continue to suffer. Now credit must be given for the Pirates beating UCF last week but that was a turnover-fueled win as the yardage and first downs were about equal. Plus East Carolina was at home for that one and the 21-point margin of victory is serving to give us line value here. BYU is an independent but has played a ton of tough match-ups. Tough game have included facing Baylor and Oregon and Notre Dame and Arkansas. Look for the battle-tested Cougars to bounce back and respond after an embarrassing loss at Liberty last week as they take advantage of home field here and stop their 3-game losing streak! 10* BYU -3

NFL Thursday 10* Top Play Baltimore Ravens +2 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 8:15 ET - The Bucs have lost 4 of 5 games. Most concerning too is that their last 3 games have been against teams with a combined record of 7-14 this season. None of those teams have a winning record. Tampa Bay beat just one of them, Atlanta, but did not cover and TB enters this game on an 0-5 ATS run. In fact, 5 of Tampa's 6 games (since beating Dallas in season opener) have seen them face teams that currently have a losing record. The record of those 5 teams is now a combined 12-23. Consider that and now consider that the Buccaneers have lost 4 of 5 games! This team is just not the team it use to be. Keep in mind, former head coach Bruce Arians is now a senior football consultant for the Bucs. That is is not the same as being the guy patrolling the sidelines and calling the shots. That guy is Todd Bowles who should have stuck to just being a defensive coordinator (which he absolutely has excelled at). As an NFL head coach though, Bowles now has a combined record of 17-38 dating back to the 2016 season. John Harbaugh has a 47-25 record as head coach of the Ravens dating back to the 2018 season. Baltimore's defense was struggling earlier this season but they have started to turn the corner ever since a solid effort in the tight loss to the Bills. The Ravens offense is one of the better ones in the league in terms of points scored and is led by dual-threat QB Lamar Jackson. With the Bucs offense a shell of its former self, I have no hesitation in grabbing the points for a strong play with the road dog in this one Thursday. 10* BALTIMORE +2

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets +2.5 vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:40 ET - I know the Nets are in a back to back spot here so many are jumping on the Mavericks. I get it. But this Brooklyn team from top to bottom is very angry and fired up and I am expecting a huge effort from them tonight as result. Last night frustrations boiled over in the loss at Milwaukee and head coach Steve Nash was dealt his first ever ejection as a head coach! That is how intense the situation was for the Nets last night. Now they are back home and ready to put the frustration to work for them in a positive way here and I fully expect a positive result to follow! Keep in mind that Dallas, just like Brooklyn, is off to a slow start. The Mavericks also have just 1 win on the season. By the way the home team is a perfect 3-0 in Dallas games this season and the home team is a perfect 3-0 in the Nets last 3 games. Look for this double perfect trending to continue here with another home win but I will grab the generous points being offered here as added insurance. I do expect the outright win though. 10* BROOKLYN +2.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers PICK (-110) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - I know Toronto wants revenge for the post-season exit at the hands of the Sixers in the spring. However, I look at the Philly starters and bench and compare to the Raptors starters and bench and to me it sure seems the 76ers are the much stronger and deeper team. This is currently even a magnified issues because Philadelphia is the healthier team. For Toronto, Otto Porter has yet to suit up this season and is doubtful for this game and the Raptors were hoping the new acquisition could be a solid contributor for them. Also, Scottie Barnes is listed as questionable for this contest. Even if he does play his ankle is unlikely to be 100% and he may not be able to play up to his full potential in this one. Again, if he even sees the floor! Yes, Toronto is off a big win at Miami but the Raptors rallied in the 4th quarter for the victory as they trailed heading to final stanza. Also, the Heat shot horribly from distance in that game. The fact the Raptors outscored the Heat by six 3-pointers (18 points) from beyond the arc was absolutely the difference in that win. As for the Sixers, they just got their first win of the season against Indiana. Getting that win over the Pacers is just what the doctor ordered! Philly will finally have some confidence back after a frustrating 0-3 start to the season. Look for the Sixers to look like a different team tonight and they have the better shooters in this match-up too and I just don't see the Raptors as being able to keep up in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA PICK (-110)

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -2.5 vs Golden State Warriors @ 10 ET - The Suns have played the tougher schedule so far with a pair of a road games and their only home game was against at tough Mavericks team. Now Phoenix is at home facing the Warriors in a huge match-up. For Golden State, this is their first road trip of the new season. I feel this is a significant edge for the Suns in this spot and we are getting a bargain price with this line at -2.5 for Phoenix at home. The Warriors were great at home last season but only 22-19 on the road. The Suns were 32-9 both home and away last season! Amazingly only ONE of their 64 victories had a margin of victory under 3 points! Even in the post-season all 7 of their wins were by at least 3 points. So I have no hesitation in laying the points here considering that 70 of the 71 wins that Phoenix had last season were by at least 3 points! Also, the Suns are very hungry entering this season after losing in the 2nd round of the post-season to the Mavericks in 7 games. 10* PHOENIX -2.5

Monday NFL 10* Top Play Chicago Bears +9 @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - First off I like the fact the Bears have extra rest since they last played Thursday. Secondly I definitely like the fact that Chicago lost that game despite having a huge yardage edge of nearly a 2 to 1 ratio over the Commanders. Thirdly, and the biggest key here, is that even though New England is 3-3 this season one should take a look at their schedule! The Patriots are 3-3 but the 3 wins have come against team that are 5-15 on the season. Now, of course, one could argue that the Bears are also a bad team and I certainly understand that sentiment. However, I have a strong feeling that the Pats are entering this game overconfident off B2B wins and facing a 2-4 Bears team. New England will end up surprised that this Chicago defense is quite solid. The Bears have lost 3 straight games but all were by 8 or less points. Chicago has a high compete level and they have a solid rushing offense and a strong pass defense. Oftentimes teams like this make the best big road dogs! By the way, Chicago has lost the money ATS just once in last 8 games against AFC opponents. The Patriots can improve to 4-3 with a win here and that would put them just behind the 5-2 Jets and 5-1 Bills in the AFC East but those 5-2 Jets are on deck for the Pats too. Could New England get caught looking ahead here? I do feel that New England will circle the wagons in time to win this game Monday but I don't see them covering this inflated spread. Bears will be in this game all the way and have a legitimate shot at the outright upset. 10* CHICAGO +9

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4.5 or +5 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:10 ET - This is a great spot for the Bulls. They are off an embarrassing home loss to the Cavaliers in which they actually were about equal in shot attempts from the field plus had more free throw attempts yet lost the game by 32 points! So what happened? The Cavaliers shot a ridiculous percentage from 3-point land and had a hot shooting night overall. After getting embarrassed like this on their home floor I am sure Chicago is going to respond here. Remember the Bulls prior game was a road loss but just by 2 points and they opened the season on the road with a solid win at Miami also. Yes the Celtics are 3-0 this season but the teams they beat are a combined 1-8 so far. So maybe Boston caught the right teams at the right time but that is not the case here. I look for an angry Bulls team to be relentless at both ends of the floor tonight. 10* CHICAGO +4.5 or +5

Romania Liga 1 Monday 10* Top Play FCSB Goal Line 0 (pick) +105 @ Sepsi @ 2 ET - FCSB was #2 in the table last season and #1 in the table the season before that. Yes, this team is currently down in the table this season but they are on a mission to move back up. For one thing, some of the clubs have played as many as 15 matches now but FCSB has only played 12 so they can still make a big move up the table. In fact, they can jump all the way to #6 in the table and move just in front of Sepsi with a win here. That is what I am fully expecting here but 4 of the last 5 meetings between these clubs have ended in a draw and I like the value of the goal line here of having FCSB at a Pick +105 so if the match ends in a draw we get a push and get our money back. But I am absolutely expecting a win here. FCSB has won all 3 league matches this season and by a combined score of 7 to 3. Sepsi is off B2B losses against CFR Cluj and Farul Constanta. Those are two of the top clubs in the league but still FCSB has been right up there at the top with CFR Cluj in each of the past two seasons so truly this is another top club for Sepsi to deal with. That said, these hosts have scored just 1 goal in last two matches combined while FCSB has scored at least 2 goals in EACH of last 3 matches in league action. Look for the road team to continue their strong push. 10* FCSB Goal Line 0 (pick) +105

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Dolphins -7 vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ 8:20 ET - Yes the Steelers just beat the Bucs but they were outgained in that game. The Dolphins lost to the Vikings but actually outgained Minnesota by over 200 yards in that game and had twice as many first downs. Miami was done in by turnovers in that one. The Dolphins get back Tagovailoa for this one at QB and still have Bridgewater and Thompson available to back him up. The Steelers welcome back Pickett at QB this week but he has struggled so far this season with a poor TD-INT ratio. Also, his back-up is Trubisky and he is not known for striking fear into opposing defenses. The Steelers are still in rebuild mode here and flukes like the upset win over TB will happen from time to time but Pittsburgh generally a different team on the road. Couple that with the fact that the Dolphins are starting a stretch in which their 5 opponents - including Steelers - have a combined record of 8-19-1, you know Miami realizes they can still salvage their season. They started 3-0 then went 0-3 and now they get back on track in a big way to improve to 4-3. Look for them to be revitalized with the return of their starting QB and playing at home in SNF. Miami has lost the money just 3 times the last 15 times they have been a home favorite. Dolphins roll by 7 or more in this one! 10* MIAMI -7

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Indianapolis Colts +2.5 @ Tennessee Titans @ 1 ET - The Colts seek revenge for the first meeting and actually outgained the Titans by over 120 yards in that one and held Tennessee to just 243 yards in the upset loss due to turnovers. With Matt Ryan off a huge game in which he threw for nearly 400 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions, I love this spot with the Colts! Ryan had a bad game recently in the OT win at Denver two weeks ago but Indy is actually 3-1 the last 4 games and in his 3 games besides the Broncos game he has averaged 322 yards passing and thrown for 7 TDs against just 1 INT. I think Indy is quietly starting to turn their season around and, statistically they are much better than the Titans on both sides of the ball but Tennessee has been more fortunate because the Colts had some turnover issues this season. So we get some built-in line value here and I will not pass it up. Indy has the much better passing attack and much better pass defense and that will key the road win here. 10* INDIANAPOLIS +2.5

Sunday EPL 10* Newcastle United Goal Line +0.5 -120 @ Tottenham @ 11:30 AM ET - Even though Newcastle is hurt some by the Joelinton injury, Tottenham is hurt even more coming into this match as Richarlison (calf) and Dejan Kulusevski (hamstring) are both expected to miss this one and that really hurts the hosts. I also feel strongly that disappointment is setting in at Tottenham after their 2-0 loss to Manchester United. I know the Hotspur are undefeated at home this season but situationally and, with the injuries, Newcastle is the play here. In recent seasons Newcastle was known for playing very poorly on the road and only being tough at home. That is not the case at all this season and the visitors are one of only 3 clubs in the league that has just 1 loss on the campaign. The only other two are Arsenal and Manchester City. That is pretty elite company for sure and the fact is Newcastle has been "kings of the draw" this season with 6 already in 11 matches. That said, I love having half-goal with the visitors here at a very fair price. Tottenham has even been tinkering with formations because of the absences or Richarlison and Kulusevski. The Hotspur just not the same club without those guys and the visitors are the ones entereding this match with momentum off a 1-0 win versus Everton. 10* NEWCASTLE UNITED +0.5 -120

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 goals -130 @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - This is the front end of a B2B for the Flyers as they host the Sharks tomorrow in Philly. However, even if Felix Sandstrom gets the start in goal he did look quite good in the 4-3 loss to Panthers in Florida earlier this week. If it is Carter Hart, he is undefeated this season and has not allowed more than 2 goals in any start! Either way, I do like the fact the Flyers are 3-1 on the season and the one loss was by just a single goal. As for the Predators, they are 2-3-1 on the season and their only two wins were in Europe against a San Jose team that has proven to be off to a rough start this season. So the Predators have not won since returning to North America and they only have 1 win by a multi-goal margin in 6 games this season. So if you take the 4 Flyers games and 6 Preds games this season only 1 of the 10 have been a result that would give us a loss with Philly +1.5 goals! So 90% odds on the cover here based on ytd results. Again, that is just purely statistical but you get my point and I just really like the way this Flyers team is playing under Tortorella and they catch Nashville slumping here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 goals -130

CFB Saturday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions -4.5 vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 7:30 ET - Penn State is certainly no powerhouse this season but the same holds true for Minnesota and yet if you factor in the home field edge for this one it is almost as if the line would be a pick'em on a neutral field and I disagree with that assessment and feel we have excellent line value here! Minnesota is 4-2 this season but the wins were against New Mexico State, Western Illinois, Colorado and Michigan State. Well NM St and Colorado are very bad football teams. Michigan St is having a down season and W. Ill is an FCS school. The Golden Gophers opened the season 4-0 but against those teams. They have since been absolutely been dominated by an Illinois team that is playing very well but is certainly no Michigan (that is who PSU just lost to) and and the Golden Gophers also lost at home by double digits to a Boilermakers team that Penn State defeated earlier this season at Purdue! Also, even though Auburn is down this season the Tigers are an SEC program and PSU crushed them by 29 points. Their schedule has been tougher than that of Minny. I know they have Ohio State on deck but they won't look past this game and they are angry after being completely manhandled at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball against the Wolverines. So this game means more to them than you might think and, after first loss of the season, the Nittany Lions bounce back and also send over-rated Minny to 3rd straight loss! 10* PENN STATE -4.5

CFL Saturday 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders +2.5 vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7 ET - Yes the Roughriders have been slumping but they are at home and off a bye week and, before the bye week, they fought hard at Hamilton in a tight loss. Calgary saw BC win last night to end their hopes of hosting the Lions in the playoffs. The Stampeders really do not have anything to play for here now. They just want to stay healthy as they are effectively locked into their playoff seeding. That said, even though Saskatchewan has struggled they are the play here. They are making a QB switch and they have the motivational edges and the home field edge and I just can't see Calgary putting up much of a fight in this one given the situation. 10* SASKATCHEWAN +2.5

CFB Saturday 10* Oklahoma State Cowboys +6 vs Texas Longhorns @ 3:30 ET - Stillwater is not an easy place to play. I know the Cowboys are going to be fired up after they let their game slip away at TCU last week. Yes that was a 2OT loss so you might think that OSU will have trouble bouncing back this week or could be spent physically and emotionally. However, the key is that this game is at home. If it was in Austin, I probably would not trust Oklahoma State here but being at home and angry off the loss to the Horned Frogs and getting 6 points here...it just all adds up to a lot of value. UT is absolutely a much better team under the new coaching regime. However, Texas has only played one true road game (the OU game was neutral site of course) and they lost outright at Texas Tech as a 7 point dog and they had to rally just to send that game to OT. By the way, that same Red Raiders team lost to this same Cowboys team by double digits! Love the home dog value here. When coach Gundy is off a loss he has only lost the money ATS 5 times the last 20 games. Also, the Cowboys have covered 9 of last 11 ATS as an underdog in conference action. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE +6

CFL Friday 10* Top Play Edmonton Elks +7 vs BC Lions @ 9:30 ET - BC is off big win versus Winnipeg last week. But the Lions scored 40 points on only 266 yards of offense! The key was 2 Blue Bombers interceptions and they also turned the ball over once on downs. BC clinched a playoff spot with that win but they actually were outgained by over 100 yards in that game. The Lions are still motivated to win this game because of playoff hosting scenarios, etc. But the Elks have not won at home all season long and this is their season finale. Edmonton really wants this game badly after falling just short when they hosted Toronto last week. The yardage was roughly equal in that game and the Elks are even hungrier this week as a result of falling just short against the Argonauts. Perhaps the hosts will indeed finish the season with an 0-9 record at home but I do see them getting at least a cover here and certainly would not be surprised to see the outright upset given the situation as the Lions are over-rated here plus could be a little flat in this game after knocking off the top team in the league last week. 10* EDMONTON +7

NBA Thursday 8* Philadelphia 76ers -4 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:30 ET - 76ers lost their season opener at Boston because the Celtics shot a robust 56% from the field! Look for Philly to be much better on the defensive end here at home and off a loss and plus they catch the Bucks playing their first game of the season. Milwaukee could be a little slow out of the gate this season and adding to the slowness is the fact that Middleton and Connaughton both going to miss some time early this season. The Sixers will take advantage here and are in bounce back mode here. Also, though Milwaukee has mostly still had the 76ers number, Philly has not forgotten when Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down in the middle of the Philadelphia court after knocking down a clutch basket in OT. Yes that was the season before last but Philly does not forget. The Bucks have mostly still had Philly's number since then but with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing this one without a couple of key Milwaukee teammates! He and the Bucks will get no mercy from the Sixers here that is for sure and that is why I am not hesitating in laying the points here. 8* PHILADELPHIA -4

NBA Tuesday 8* Philadelphia 76ers +2.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - This rivalry goes way back and, in fact, these teams have met 457 times heading into this season opener. Why I am mentioning the 457? Because that 457th meeting was the biggest margin of victory ever for the Celtics over the Sixers and it happened in Philly. The 76ers got embarrassed on their home court by a score of 135 to 87. This game today will mean a little something extra as a result as that was actually also one of the worst losses for the Sixers in their entire franchise history. That said, they will be seeking payback here and the last time these teams met in the post-season, Boston delivered a 4-game sweep. The Sixers have been trying to work their way back to being one of the NBA's best teams and they have been getting there for sure. I like the way this roster has been built and the chemistry this team has now. Look for Philly to step up big in this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA +2.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -6 or -6.5 vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:20 ET - The Cowboys are expected to again be without QB Dak Prescott. Even though QB Cooper Rush has been a solid game manager for Dallas so far this season, the Cowboys still have an offense that ranks as one of the worst in the NFL. They are fortunate to be 4-1 this season. The Eagles are NOT fortunate to be 5-0 this season. They have dominated for long stretches in games and are fully deserving of their undefeated record. They have one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the league and a solid defense that ranks well against both the run and the pass. The Cowboys are lacking a bit in terms of run defense and the Eagles had the #1 rushing attack last season and are again near the top of the league so far this season. Philly has hopes of getting to the Super Bowl this season but, until then, this is their Super Bowl. Indeed the Eagles, and the entire city of Philadelphia hates the Cowboys more than any other team in the NFL. They want revenge here for the fact they have lost 3 straight to Dallas by an average margin of 22 points per game. Keep in mind, last year's ugly loss to the Cowboys in Philly was after the Eagles clinched playoffs so they weren't playing for anything. This time they are playing for plenty and Philadelphia is 6-0 / 100% ATS the last 6 times they have been a home favorite. Dallas beat the Rams last week but were very fortunate as they were outgained by 100 yards. Now they go from the west coast to the east coast for this one and the Philly fans will be rabid for this one. What a time in Philly for the fans. Phillies going to NLCS, Flyers have started season 2-0 under new head coach, Sixers again considered an NBA title contender coming into season, and the Eagles are the only undefeated team in the NFL. I only mention that because the passion and energy of the crowd tonight will perhaps be about the highest level you will have ever seen in a regular season NFL game in Philadelphia. I am 100% serious about that and you have the hated Cowboys in town and the Eagles currently firing on all cylinders and the likely QB match-up is early season MVP candidate Jalen Hurts over Cowboys QB Cooper Rush. I am not disrespecting Rush but just saying he was undrafted out of Central Michigan. The Eagles Hurts was a star at Alabama and Oklahoma - traditionally two of the best programs in College Football. Again, I respect what Rush has done with the Cowboys as a game manager but this will be his toughest test yet and if Prescott does play I would expect plenty of rust. Dak was very limited in practice and I really think they are going to wait on him and let the thumb heal more. 10* PHILADELPHIA -6 or -6.5

Sunday MLB 10* Top Play Cleveland Guardians Run Line +1.5 -115 vs New York Yankees @ 7:07 ET - All the momentum and the home field edge with Guardians here. Each and every season it seems Yankees find a way to disappoint their huge fan base. They had a great regular season but they have now had B2B gut-wrenching losses! They lost 4-2 in Game 2 in New York in 10 innings. Then they took a 5-3 lead to bottom of 9th yesterday at Cleveland but still lost. I know Cole is a fantastic pitcher but Cleveland had a few chances in that Game One 4-1 loss and I feel they will be even better here against him. The Guardians confidence is sky high right now and of course now they get Cole at home. I also expect Quantrill to be even better here because he is at home for this one. He was 9-0 with a 3.28 ERA in the regular season in home starts! Cole had a solid, yet modest, 3.81 ERA in road outings this season. Also, he allowed 14 runs (13 earned) and 7 homers over his last 4 road starts and those outings averaged only 5 and 2/3 per start. Anyway I am going with action on pitchers as the Guardians wrapped up the regular season on a 24-6 run and 2 of those 6 losses were by just 1 run so I like the very strong odds on at least a run line cover though I do feel Cleveland will win outright here to advance to ALCS. Guardians already 3-0 in home games in this post-season. 10* CLEVELAND run line +1.5 -115

NFL Sunday 8* Miami Dolphins +3 vs Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - I am a contrarian and it is something that has served me well in the NFL through the years. In this case, the Vikings have been rolling and this line has flipped from Miami being a small favorite to Minnesota being now favored by a field goal on game day. Now of course part of the reason for the move is that  Tagovailoa is still out for this game and Bridgewater is expected to only be the back-up for this game. That means Skylar Thompson gets the start. What everyone is looking at with him is that he struggled last week on the road but I want to mention a couple of key factors with him. This guy had a phenomenal preseason and, even though that is only preseason, it still shows he can move a team down the field. Now this week he got full reps with the first string all week long and will be fully prepared for this start here and this is a home start. Keep in mind, he played his college career at Kansas State which means he faced some tough teams during his college career. This is not some guy coming out of a small college where you have concerns about the level of competition. I really like Thompson to surprise in this game and feel we have phenomenal value here with the home dog. If this game was at Minnesota, no I would not play it. But this is an entirely different situation. On that note, Dolphins on a 9-3 ATS run as a home dog. Overall, Miami on a 10-4 ATS run entering this one and Vikings on a 2-6 ATS run entering this one. Dolphins also have covered 8 of last 12 versus NFC foes. 8* MIAMI +3