On a losing streak, the Bulldogs are exactly who the Tigers want to see. Auburn has dominated the Mississippi State in games here. Last time here, the Tigers won by 9. The previous game here, the Tigers won by 23. The game before that, the Tigers won by 39. Before that, they won by 8. The common theme is Auburn home wins of greater than a touchdown. Tigers are 18-12 against the spread the last 30x they were home favorites of 3.5 to 7 points. Bulldogs pulled off an upset last week but are still only 1-3 ATS as underdogs. Playing back-to-back road games for the first time this season will showcase their weaknesses. Last week's scores might say otherwise but the Tigers boast the better defense. They'll win this game by more than a touchdown. *SEC GOY

I backed Brentford against Burnley. That was an easy 3-0 waltz in the park but Chelsea is an entirely different animal. The Bees have previously kicked the Blues while they've been down. Chelsea has turned things around and will settle that score. Prior to 2022, Chelsea had always dominated Brentford. Currently in top form, the Blues will turn back the clock and go back to beating up on the Bees. *EPL GOW

Charlotte games have been low-scoring but this is a historically low total for a game between the Owls and 49'ers. Eight meetings between these teams. The O/U lines all fell in a range from 54.5 to 65.5. Six of the past seven finished with at least 43 points. Five of those finished with 47 or more. Last year, they combined for 56 points. On the subject of 56 points, FAU scored that many all by itself the last time it was on the road. FAU games are averaging more than 49 on the season. This one will get over the small number. *AAC TOW

An extra +1.5 goals is the way to go on Friday night in New Jersey. The Sabres are 3-3 last 6 with 2 of the losses coming by 1 goal. The Devils have played five 1-goal games in their last 7. Five of 10 meetings in the series were 1-goal games. Sabres off a 6-4 win. The Devils off a 6-4 loss and the Sabres are 5-0 against the money-line in their last 5 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game. Go with Buffalo on the puck-line. *GOW

We played against the Lakers in their Opening Night loss. That was at Denver, Jokic and the defending champions were getting their rings. A home game against a Suns team expected to be without Beal is a different story. Phoenix is only 30-41 ATS last 71 after allowing 105 points or less. Lakers beat the Suns by 14 last meeting here. The home team won all four meetings by double-figures. Lebron and the Lakers get it done in front of the home fans. *Western Conf. GOM

Thursday Night football from Lane Stadium is always a good time. So was last year's game Syracuse. It finished with 77 points even though the total was only 45. VT has scored 30 and 38 its last 2 home games. Defenses aren't playing as well as you might think. Hokies have given up 21 or more points in 5 of their last 6. Syracuse has permitted 40 or more in back-to-back games and has conceded 30 or more in 3 straight. This one's going over the total! *ACC TOY

The Pacers haven't won a season opener since 2020. That changes this evening. The Wizards beat the Pacers here in last year''s opener. This year, Washington has gone through a major rebuild and won't be ready to compete the entire way with Indiana in this one. Wizards only 34-45-3 ATS last 82 on the road. Pacers lost the opener against the Wizards but are still 36-14 SU the last 50 meetings and they won by 10 the last time they hosted the Wizards. I've got them taking advantage of the favorable matchup and winning this one by at least that many. *Eastern Conf GOM

Lots of hitting in yesterday's winner-take-all event as last night's Game 7 ended with 15 runs. This one will be much lower-scoring. Most recent Game 7's are. These teams combined for 6 runs yesterday. Both these starters were extremely strong when they opposed each other in Game 2. The final score was 2-1. That was by far the lowest-scoring game of the series. Pfaadt went 5.2 shutout innings, Suarez went 5.1 shutout innings. This one also stays under. *NLCS TOW

Both teams are consistently scoring. NMSU scored 34, 27 and 28 last three games. LA Tech has scored 24, 28 and 23 its last three games. At home, the Bulldogs are averaging 34.5 points but also giving up 28.3. Off their bye last year, the Bulldogs next game finished with 72 points. The O/U line for that game was 52.5. This one will also result in a shootout. Go with the Over. *CUSA TOW

Really like that the division-leading Lions got crushed yesterday. Combine that with the Packer loss and the Vikings should have a little boost. A win tonight now has them with the second most wins in the division and with the Lions looking vulnerable. San Francisco is good but not invincible. The 49'ers are off a tough loss. They're dealing wih the injuries and playing their second straight on the road. The Vikings are off a win, their second in three games. The lone loss came by a touchdown against the Chiefs. Since a bad New Year's Day loss at Lambeau, the Vikings have played eight games. None of those eight games resulted in a loss of more than 7 points. One big Minnesota win and another Minnesota win by eight points. The other six were all decided by seven or less. Give me the points.

A previously high-scoring series will feature great pitching tonight. Eovaldi is a great competitor. He's 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in the postseason. Twenty-four strikeouts in 19.2 innings. Valdez may not have been brilliant in this series but he's still only a couple of months removed from throwing a no-hitter. With a chance to punch a ticket to the World Series The bullpens got a day to rest yesterday and it will be all hands on deck. Look for the bats to stay quiet and the final score to stay Under. *ALCS TOY

The wins haven't come but the Broncos have shown signs of life. My feeling is that they will break through with a victory this afternoon. The Packers are off back-to-back losses and have dropped three of four. The only win was by a single point. Green Bay coach La Fleur summed it up: "It's just a lot of inconsistent play. It's been very choppy. We haven't been able to get into a consistent rhythm." Wilson has an 0-4 record (54.3 QB rating) at Lambeau but he's 3-0 with a 107.6 QB rating against the Packers at home. Broncos win. *Non-Conf GOW

This total could easily be lower. The Arizona offense has come down to earth, a lack of talent becoming evident.The Cardinals have scored 16, 20 and 9 points in their last three games. Seattle managed only 13 last week. The last two Seahawk games have both finished with 30 or less. When Arizona played here last season, the score was 19-9. The year before, it was 23-13. The Cardinals will again have trouble scoring and that will lead to this final score staying below the total. *NFC West TOY

The Atlanta offense is showing real signs of life and we can expect Desmond Ridder to pick up his first road win. The result was disappointing but the Falcons dominated time of possession and racked up more than 400 yards against Washington. They had a 25-12 edge in first downs and outgained the Commanders 402-193! They also statistically dominated Houston the previous game. My feeling is that Atlanta is a team on the rise and that Tampa is likely going the other way. The Bucs got dominated last game and their only home win was against the Bears. Tampa is 2-5-1 ATS its last eight as a home favorite of a field goal or less. Atlanta is 3-1 ATS its last four as a road underdog of a field goal or less. Grab the points. *NFC South GOY

Don't expect many goals in today's early match between West Ham and Aston Villa. The last meeting had a final score of 1-1. The one before that finished with a score of 1-0. Eight of the past 10 meetings produced 3 or fewer goals, six of those finishing with less than 3. Villa has only conceded three goals in its last four matches. AV has allowed one goal or less in six of its last seven matches. WH has allowed less than 2 goals in seven of its past 10 matches. Last match here was scoreless into the 2nd half and finished 1-0. This one also goes Under. *EPL TOW

Stanford fans won't soon forget last week's stunning comeback. That was against a porous Colorado defense. Now the Cardinal will be facing one of the toughest defenses in the country. Scoring will be extremely difficult, let alone coming back. Stanford only scored 13 against UCLA last year and may not even get that many in this one. The Bruins' defense is that good. Remember, in the game before Colorado, the Cardinal scored only 6 points. Off their previous loss, the Bruins' next game stayed below the total by double-digits. This one will also stay under! *Pac 12 TOY

The Rebels have been lining the pockets of bettors this season. That comes to an end Saturday. UNLV's ATS success has led to us getting extra line value with Colorado State. The Rams have beaten UNLV four straight times. They're 17-3 the past 20 meetings. Two of those three Rebel wins were by only a field goal. Not only is this always a difficult opponent for the Rebels but this is also a challenging scheduling spot. They just beat instate rival Nevada and they've got a big showdown against Fresno State up next. That game is a big deal due to both teams having such strong records. The Rams have won 3 of 4 and just beat Boise last game. Rebels 3-6-1 ATS last 10 as a home fav in the -7.5 to -10 range. Give me the points. *MWC GOY

In its first season in the top level, Luton Town is often outmatched. That will be the case again Saturday. Last year, Nottingham Forest went through the same growing pains that Luton Town is now experiencing. Forest is much stronger because of it. Forest Manager Steve Cooper knows his club needs to take advantage of this very winnable match and that they can't settle for a draw: "We've played some good football and got in some dangerous areas as a team, but we should have made it count more than what we did. That's the challenge for us, but not forgetting what we've built since we got into the Premier League, in terms of our togetherness, our spirit and our attitude to try not to concede goals." Forest scores more goals and allows less. Expect Cooper's club to record a clean sheet and an important victory. *EPL GOM

Though they're not thrilled with their start, the Devils are a little stronger than the Islanders. The Devils had a big regular season last year and are poised for another big year. Determined to get a victory, they'll face an Islander team which is 1-5 in their last 6 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. The Islanders are sound defensively and in goal but they often have trouble scoring and will have trouble keeping up. The Devils superior power-play will likely make a difference. NJ is a slight favorite and the favorite is 25-12 the past 37 meetings. NJ wins. *Metro Div GOW

The Mustangs are going to score early and often. They scored 69 in a game earlier. The Mustangs scored 31 and 34 their last two games. Now they get to go up against the Owls, who have allowed more than 40 points in four straight games. The Owls did score 34 in their last game here. Even if down, they won't just quit trying to score. The Mustangs' last five games against Temple saw them score: 59, 60, 45, 45 and 47! Those are just SMU scores, not combined. Every one of those games got to at least 65. All five went Over the total. This one also will. *AAC TOW

Saints have been an under cash machine this season. As a result, we've got a really low total for Thursday's game against Jacksonville. It's important to understand that Jaguar games average 44 points. The Jax offense has gotten better and better. They scored 31 in the opener but then dropped all the way to 9 in their next game. After that they went from 9 to 17 to 23 to 25 to 37. It's fair to say that they're clicking on all cylinders. The Saints didn't score many last game but they did have well over 400 yards of offense. Also, they scored 34 in their previous game. They'll be able to move the ball and score on TNF. The Jaguars have played here twice in the past. Both those games finished with 65 points. This one might not produce that number of points but it'll produce more than enough to get us over this low total. *Thursday Night Total Of The Year

The Senators lost their first game, at Carolina. Since then, they've been playing very well. They're off back-to-back 5-2 victories. They had a solid edge in shots and overall play in both games. The Capitals are fortunate to be 1-1. They've been outshot badly in both of their games. Struggling to score goals and generate offense, the Capitals will have trouble keeping up to a Senators team which is clicking. Washington is 0-6 the past six times that it faced an opponent which scored five or more goals in its last game. The favorite is 38-13 the past 51 meetings. Go with the Senators. *Eastern Conference Game Of The Month

Ignore the 0-2 record, the Oilers are still stacked. Understand that they had a 40-16 edge in shots in Saturday's loss. Just like 0-2 Florida yesterday, the Oilers will be extremely determined to get their first victory. Captain Connor McDavid commented: "You want to get off to a good start and we haven’t. A win tomorrow night leaves us at [1-2-0] and we were [1-2-0] last year too. It’s not the best start, not what we were looking for, but I thought Saturday was something to build off and we look to continue that tomorrow night.” Edmonton is 4-1 the past 5 times it played with 2 days off in between games. The Oilers are also 8-1 the last 9 times that played the Predators. Look for the favorite to improve to 18-7 the past 25 meetings in the series. *Oct. GOM

The Phillies are very strong at home in the playoffs. They jumped on Arizona early yesterday and won 5-3. That game had a lower total than this one and the final score finished over. This one will be lower-scoring and likely won't feature early runs the same way as yesterday. Take a look at these pitching numbers. Nola is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in the current postseason. Kelly is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in the postseason. Kelly now has a 2.20 ERA his past five. Nola? He's 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA. Neither starter has allowed a home run in either of his last two starts. This game stays under! *NLCS TOY

A total in the 50's gives us a lot of room to stay under and that's the way I'm going this Monday. These teams are both known more for their offenses but there is also plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Chargers kept the Raiders to 17 points last game but only scored 24. Off a bad loss to SF, Dallas will want to improve on defense. Off only previous loss, the Cowboys gave up just 3 points in their next game. These teams last meet in 2021. The total was 55 but they finished with 37. The previous three meetings before that one had scores of 34, 51 and 37. That's an average of 39.75 for the past four meetings. This one won't reach 50. *MNF TOM

Low number. Much lower thanks to the Jones injury. Forget Jones for a minute, the Bills can score this many themselves. Don't believe me? Ask the Dolphins. The Bills put up 48 points against them. Before that, they scored 37 and 38 against the Commanders and Raiders. The Giants have allowed 24 or more in seven straight games, 30 or more in two of their last three. Heck, they're allowing an average of more than 30 per game. As mentioned, Daniel Jones is out. But is that really a bad thing? The Giants were 1-4 with Jones behind center. Tyrod Taylor is a capable veteran. Having started 43 games for the Bills, he'll have a chip on his shoulder when playing his former team. At the least, he'll help to light a spark. Buffalo will score big and the Giants will do "enough." This game goes Over! *NFL TOM

Curiously, this game will mark the first time that two teams from the same state faced each other in the League Championship Series. The Astros have a future Hall-Of-Famer on the mound. They've got a lineup loaded from top to to bottom. The Rangers turned things around at the right time to get this far. This is new territory though. The Astros have beaten the Rangers three straight times and have won seven of the past eight. They were 9-4 in the season series. Verlander has a 0.47 ERA his last three starts (one run in 19 innings) and a 0.00 ERA his past two. Verlander's teams are 8-1 his last nine against Texas. He allowed just 10 combined earned runs in the nine starts, always going at least six innings. Only one way to go! *ALCS GOY

I wasn't at all surprised that the Bengals beat Arizona last week. It was a break-out game for Burrow, Chase and the Bengal offense. On the other side, the defense also elevated its play. Cincinnati will carry that confidence into Sunday afternoon's home game against Seattle. The Seahawks are off a bye. That's not always helpful! The Seahawks are 0-2 ATS their last 2 off a bye. Long-term? They're 12-23 ATS with a push, the last 36 times they were off a bye. Even off the bye, the Hawks aren't entirely healthy. The Bengals have won 15 of their last 21 home games and we don't have to worry about laying a big number. Arizona was a losing team but the Bengals are also 16-4 straight-up and 15-5 against the spread against winning teams. They''ll get back to .500 and add to those stats Sunday afternoon. *NFL GOY

Some might say that all signs point to an under. Baltimore is off 3 straight unders. Tennessee is, too. Games across the pond are often different though. If you haven't noticed, these games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the only stadium designed specially for NFL games outside of North America, a tendency to be quite high-scoring. Last week's game here produced 45 points. The opposite has been the case in the games at Wembley Stadium. The last four Wembley games have all finished with 38 or less. The six games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium all finished with 43 or more. Both offenses are filled with talent and capable of more than they've shown. This will be on display, the final score going Over. *AFC TOW

A very big O/U line. These teams faced each other already. Playing in their own building, the Canucks crushed the Oilers by an 8-1 score. Both Edmonton goalies struggled. We'll see a better defensive and goaltending effort from the Oilers on Saturday. Only one of Vancouver's past five visits here has produced more than 7 goals. Three of those five games finished with less than six. The under is 3-1-1 in those games and 6-2-1 in nine meetings overall. Also, the under is 5-1 the past six times that Edmonton allowed five or more goals in its previous game. Go with the Under! *NHL TOM

Grabbing points with the Bruins. The Beavers are a good team and I know they've got a great home record. UCLA remains under-rated though. The Beavers allow 19.7 points each game. OSU has given up 38 or more points in two of their last three games.The Bruins only allow 12.2. No team has scored more than 17 against them. That makes it difficult to beat the Bruins by more than a field goal. Grab the points with the better defense! *Pac 12 GOM

LSU has been money for the over all season. That comes to an end Saturday. With all the LSU games going over, the totals have been going up and up. Games between these SEC rivals rarely reach the 60 point mark though. The past seven Auburn versus LSU games have had the following scores: 38, 43, 59, 43, 43, 50 and 31. Only one of the past 10 meetings had a total which was as high as this one. Auburn gave up 27 against Georgia and 27 at Texas A&M. Before that Auburn permitted 14 or fewer points in each of its first three games. Holding Georgia to 27 points and 19 first downs was pretty good when considering that the Bulldogs scored 49 in the game before Auburn and 51 in the one after. If Auburn can slow down Georgia, it can slow down LSU. The games may have gone over, but LSU is still loaded on defense. Points won't come easily for Auburn. Count on another low-scoring "Tiger Fight." *SEC TOY

Third meeting. First two O/U lines were 43.5 and 45.5. Now we've got a much higher line. An extra handful of points makes a big difference! The play is about more than line value. Calgary just isn't scoring right now. The Stampeders scored 15 in their last game, at Hamilton. The previous game, a home date with Montreal, was even worse. Calgary managed only 11 points. Both games finished with 40 or less. The score from this season's earlier game here was a little misleading due to Overtime. They had 46 points in regulation. Saskatchewan's previous three visits here had final scores of 40, 37 and 46. This one stays Under. *CFL TOM

I feel that Fresno State is a far stronger team than Utah State. Both teams score but the Bulldogs also prevent teams from scoring. They allow an average of 18.2 points each game. The Aggies give up 32.2 points per game, a full extra two touchdowns. The Bulldogs have covered six of the past 10 as road favorites. A well-coached team, the Bulldogs are also 3-0 against the spread the past three times they were off a conference loss. They'll win this game by a touchdown or more. *MWC GOW

Classic rivalry. The Capitals have home ice advantage. The Penguins have already played a game though. They've had a chance to work out some issues. It will help them in this game. There were some positive signs. The Penguins had 40 shots and won most of the face-offs. They allowed 4 unanswered goals to blow the game though. That won't sit well and they're going to come out determined to make things right. The Capitals are missing a couple of players. The Penguins are quite healthy. They will spoil Washington's home opener. *Metro Conf GOM

The last two seasons have seen the Chiefs go 3-7 against the spread in Week 5 to Week 9. KC will have its hands full. The loss to the Jets was costly but Denver has shown signs of life in back-to-back games. As bad as the Broncos record is, they've been competitive in every game but one. The loss to Miami was ugly but the all four of the other games were decided by 10 or less, three of them by three or less. The Chiefs have also been playing close games. They messed up Chicago but their other four games were all decided by eight points or less. Four of the past five meetings were decided by six or less including each of the past three. This will be another close one. Grab all those points! *Thursday Night Football GOM

Both teams are stacked on offense. Neither will have trouble scoring this year. Entering the season, I like Minnesota's defense a lot more. The Panthers are missing two of their top defensemen, Montour and Ekblad. Both had off-season shoulder surgery. They'll be missed tonight. The Wild are 40-23 (+10.6) against Eastern Conference teams the past two years. Florida is just 35-34 (-19) against teams from the West. The Panthers won last year's two games but the Wild will take this one. *NHL GOW

I've got this one finishing with more than 50. These teams haven't played since 2020. So, most of the faces are different. Mike Houston, ECU's coach, is still here though. He knows that type of these games these teams typically play against each other. The last one finished with 90 points. The one before had 110! Prior to that, games had 86, 72, 69 and 83. The rivalry gets renewed on ESPN this evening and we'll see more offensive fireworks.

The Mustangs can really score. They put up 69 points in a game last month and they had 34 last game. Last year, their first under offensive minded coach Rhett Lashlee, the Mustangs averaged more than 37 points and more than 473 yards. The Mustangs will look forward to facing the Pirates suspect pass defense.

We know SMU will score tonight. ECU will, too. The Pirates have scored 28, 17 and 44 their last three games. Off their previous loss, the Pirates scored 44. They average 28.5 at home. With SMU projected to finish with 30+ and ECU projected to score 20+, the final score finishes above this low total. *AAC TOY

The Aces won a high-scoring Game 1. Worked for me, I had Las Vegas. The Liberty don't usually allow that many points though. We can expect a better defensive effort from them tonight. They allowed 87 or less after all their previous 9 losses, less than 80 in seven of those. The Liberty will improve defensively but they will still find scoring difficult. The under is still 7-3-1 the last 11 Aces' home games. The Aces dominated defensively in the Finals last year, Game 2 finishing with 156 points. This one stays beneath the total. *Playoff TOY

I was against the Raiders last week, when they lost their road game versus the Chargers. At home against a Green Bay team which looked terrible last week, Las Vegas will achieve a more favorable result. I happily cashed my ticket against them but the Raiders did some things that impressed me. They finished the game with more first downs (22-16) than the Chargers, as well as an advantage in terms of time of possession. That was with a rookie, making his first start at QB. Now the Raiders get Garoppolo back. Jimmy said this: "Feeling good. I think we're in a good spot. We had a good practice out there, had a good rhythm and a good tempo to us." Remember that Garoppolo has former Packer Davante Adams to throw to and that the star receiver tends to thrive under the national spotlight. Facing his old team, don't be surprised when Adams becomes the first player in NFL history to go over 100 receiving yards five times in a row on Monday night. That will pave the way to a Raider victory. *MNF GOM

They may not have Aaron Rodgers behind center but the Jets have one of the best defenses in football. Their early season defensive stats are a bit skewed by the fact that three of their first four opponents have been the Chiefs, Cowboys and Bills. All three of those teams are top 10 scoring offenses. The Broncos are better defensively than they've shown. They turned the corner defense in the second half of last week's game. It was their defense which keyed the comeback. Last year's game had 25 points. The year before had 26. This game also goes Under. *AFC TOM

Baltimore dropped Game 1 but will respond and level the series this afternoon. They may have lost against Heaney yesterday but the Orioles have still crushed left-handers. They're now 37-18 against southpaws. They may have lost yesterday but the Orioles have still done really well in day games. They're now 34-23 in afternoon affairs. Montgomery's teams are only 4-12 when he starts on the road. His teams are also 0-5 his last five starts at Baltimore. Rodriguez is 2-0 and has a 1.45 ERA his last three starts. Orioles have found a way to win the close games and get timely hits. They're 37-24 off a loss and they will respond. *ALDS GOY

The two best teams meet again. New York has taken three of the past four meetings dating back to a memorable 99-61 blowout back in early August. The Aces are still the class of the league though. They won by 13 the last time that the teams played here in Vegas. They're 19-1 on this floor. Liberty are 2-10 ATS their last 12 road games against the Aces. Vegas is 4-1 ATS the last 5 times it played with 3 or more day's rest. All 10 of the last 10 meetings have been decided by more than 5 points. Most were blowouts. So, I'm not going to worry about laying this small number. *WNBA Playoff GOY

Baltimore crushed Cleveland last week. Pittsburgh got pounded by Houston. So, why play on the Steelers? The NFL is a funny league and it's important not to over-react to the previous week's games. It's also important to understand that those results are helping to get us some extra points with Pittsburgh. The fact is that the Ravens are now playing their second straight divisional road game and third divisional road game in the past four weeks. Their injuries are mounting, too. Even with the win over the Browns, they're still an awful 9-17 ATS their last 26 as favorites. After their previous divisional road win, the Ravens lost outright to the Colts in their next game. The Steelers are 15-10 ATS as underdogs, during the same time period. Tomlin's team responded to it first loss by bouncing back with an upset of a divisional rival. The plan is for Pittsburgh to win this game outright. Getting points in this rivalry is always nice though. The last four meetings were all decided by three or less! The last six meetings were all decided by five or less. In what will likely be another close encounter, grab the points. *AFC North GOY

Low number for an Aston Villa match. In seven league contests, Villa has scored 18 goals and conceded 11. That's an average of more than four per match. The 29 total goals is second most in the entire EPL so far this season. Wolverhampton has allowed 13 and scored 8. That works out to three per match. With both teams finding the back of the net and at least one of them doing so multiple times, they'll get at least that many in this one. *EPL TOW

This game is essentially a must win for the Horned Frogs, if they want to stay in the hunt in the Big 12. For such a situation, the Frogs draw the perfect opponent. The Cyclones had a really good defense last year. TCU still dropped 62 points on them! This year's Iowa State defense isn't nearly as talented. The offense is punchless, too. Remember that the Cyclones got hit by scandal before the season. That's had a negative impact on them. The Frogs have had trouble here in the past but that will change Saturday. TCU still has a talented defense. In four games since the Colorado debacle, the Frogs are allowing an average of 15 points. ISU will have trouble scoring. TCU (34.8 ppg) should have no problem doing so. The Cyclones were shredded for 50 points and more than 500 yards last week. They're now 2-6-1 ATS their last nine as underdogs. The Frogs, 5-1-1 ATS their last seven as road favorites, will be too much for their hosts. A motivated TCU team puts it all together and wins by double-digits. *Big 12 GOY

Having lost back-to-back matches here, Manchester United is going to be extra determined to secure maximum points. Bad news for Brentford. Things would be difficult enough for the Bees if they were healthy. But they've got 6 injured players and none of them are expected to return in time for this match. Thomas Frank acknowledged as much "All of them are long-term-ish. They’re definitely not available for the weekend; that's the most important thing for me." Also, Ivan Toney remains suspended from first team action. He was last season's top scorer for Brentford. Short-handed, the Bees won't be able to withstand the assault which is coming their way. *EPL GOW

The Wildcats crushed the Cowboys 48-0 last year. This K-State offense is again loaded and will again put up a huge number. They enter the game averaging 39.5 points on the strength of 482.5 yards of offense per game. The Cowboys aren't about to get blanked again. They never have since. They scored 27 (34-27 loss) at Iowa State last game, the third time in their past four games that they've scored more than 26 points. Wildcats may not get 48 but they should get close to their average. The Cowboys gave up 34 to the Cyclones (and 33 to South Alabama before that) and the Wildcats are far more potent. With the Cowboys chipping in another 20+, this final score finishes over the total. *Big 12 TOW

The record isn't there but Edmonton has played much better than many people realize. Since their tough start, the Elks have won 4 of their last 7 games, a streak which coincides with Tre Ford taking over at QB. The 3 losses all came by single digits. Their last 3 road games have resulted in 2 outright wins and a 4-point loss. QB Ford, who ranks among the CFL leaders in terms of passing accuracy (70.1%), QB rating (108.7) and rushing yards (514), has been a big difference. He'll face a Toronto team with a banged-up secondary. The Elks are coming off a bye and inspired to try and make a late playoff push. They've won their last two visits to Toronto. Off a loss to Winnipeg and having already locked up top spot in the East, the Argos could easily look past the Elks. Edmonton will come to play. Grab the points! *CFL GOY

The Bears defense hasn't been good. Everyone knows that. The oddsmakers certainly do. Chicago's defensive struggles have rewarded us with an extra high total. Last year, these same teams played each other and the total was only 38.5. Remember how that game played out? It was a 12-7 final! Scoreless after the first quarter and 3-0 at halftime. Lots of kicking and poor red zone efficiency. Both teams ran the ball a lot. With both teams eager to clean up their defensive deficiencies, Thursday's game will take on a similar look and feel. Plenty of running will keep the clock ticking. When all is said and done, the final score will stay under the total. *NFC TOW

I played on the Bearkats to go Over last week's low total. One of the easier winners of my season. They had been really struggling to score and they were up against what had been an excellent Jacksonville State defense. The Sam Houston State offense came to life and made Jacksonville State's defense look decidedly ordinary. They finished with 435 yards of offense, 299 through the air and 28 points. Of course, they also gave up 35 points, after giving up 38 in their previous game. Now the Bearkats face Liberty which has scored 34, 33, 55 and 38. Averaging 40 points, the Flames rank #13 in the nation for scoring. Their 501 yards per game ranks in the top 10. They may easily go over this low number themselves. They won't need to though. Though loaded on offense, the Flames are inexperienced on defense. Sam Houston State will score. With both teams doing so, this one finishes over the low total. *CUSA TOTAL OF THE MONTH

Not only does Real Betis have the big advantage of playing this game at home but the Spanish team is simply stronger. Battle tested against La Liga teams, Real Betis is accustomed to tough competition. Sparta Prague has done well thus far and sits on top of the group. Therein lies the problem though, as this is a must win match for Real Betis. The Czech side will see the very best from their hosts and won't be up for the task. Real Betis brings momentum into the match from a big 3-0 victory over Valencia. They'll take maximum points from this one. *Europa League GOM

Celebrations should be in order for the home fans. The Whitecaps will clinch a playoff spot, for the second time in three seasons, with a win tonight and a little help. They also need either Minnesota OR Dallas to draw or lose. FC Dallas may win its game but Minnesota United is a substantial underdog. So, its likely that the 'Caps will get the help that they need in that game. So, they just need to take care of their own business. St. Louis is really good. In fact, its the first expansion team in MLS history to finish with the #1 seed in its conference in its debut season. That's the problem though. St. Louis has already made history and essentially has nothing to play for here. Vancouver will be hungrier and will earn the victory it needs. *MLS GOY

The Gamecocks have the better record. Yet, the Blue Raiders are favored. Given that setup, it's not all that surprising that money came in on the underdog which brought the line down a little. Middle Tennessee was installed as the favorite for a reason, as this is a good matchup for the Blue Raiders.

The Gamecocks are 1-1 on the road. They got beaten badly at Coastal Carolina and they needed OT to win at Sam Houston State. That came against the BearKats who were previously 0-3 and had been scored only 10 points, while giving up 65. Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium is a far more difficult venue.

Look for the Blue Raiders to play their best game as they bounce back and improve to 6-3 ATS the past nine times that they were coming off a conference loss. *CUSA GOY

The Marlins have played the Phillies tough this season. They're 7-5 the past 12 meetings. The majority were close. Since we're getting an extra +1.5 runs with the Marlins today, I will point out that the games between these teams have been close. Five of those 12 games were decided by one run and that another four were decided by two runs. All three of Wheeler's starts against the Marlins were 1-run games. Miami won two of them. Luzardo has made five starts against the Phillies in his career. He's got a 3.27 ERA in those games with 37 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. Luzardo's teams were 4-1 in those games and the lone loss came by 1-run. Every run will be important in this game and I'm happy to grab an extra +1.5 of them with Luzardo and the Marlins. *NL East GOM

Neither of these teams has run the ball as effectively, or as regularly, as they'd like to. It's early though and we've still had a limited sample size. Its hard to run the ball when getting blown out. These are still a pair of clubs who want to run the ball and this should be a more competitive game. Saquon Barkley sounds doubtfut but the Giants still want to pound the rock. These teams combined for 40 last October, the Seahawks winning 27-13 at home. A look at the boxscore shows that yards did not come easily. The Giants had only 14 first downs and 225 total yards of offense. Seattle had 19 first downs and 277 total yards. That game fell below the total and this line is even higher. Go with the Under. *Total of Week.

Goals won't come easily in this game. Neither team is scoring many goals this season. Fullham has five goals in six league matches. Ditto for Chelsea. Only lowly Burnley, which has four, has less. Not only does Chelsea, which is off a 1-0 victory, not score many but the Blues are also very hard to score against. They've conceded six times in six matches. Only Manchester City, which has allowed five in seven games, has permitted less. (Arsenal also has allowed six.) So, we've got a Chelsea team which doesn't score but which also doesn't get scored against, facing a Fullham team which doesn't score. Last h2h match had a score of 0-0 and three of the past four have finished with two or fewer goals. This one finishes with two or less again. Go with the Under. *EPL TOM

Both teams are 1-2. The winner will be back in the thick of things. The loser will be in big trouble. It's my opinion that the Chargers are the real deal and that the Raiders are not. Chargers lost a pair of close ones and easily could have won both. Raiders got destroyed last road game and followed it up by losing to Pittsburgh in primetime. LA is much better offensively. Chargers averaging 416.7 yards per game. Raiders averaging 287.7. Chargers averaging 28.7 points, Raiders averaging 15. Problem for the Raiders is that the Chargers are probably also better defensively. Then, there's the Raiders QB issues with Jimmy G in concussion protocol. Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels commented: We're at the mercy of the testing and all the rest of it. He'll go through the normal set of tests. We'll see if he clears." Garoppolo may well play. Even if he does, or if its Hoyer or O'Connell, it's not going to make a difference. Chargers big. *AFC West GOY

This number, in my estimation, is too low. Entering the weekend,.Baltimore games vs. right-handed starters were averaging 9.2 runs. Boston games vs. right-handers were averaging 9.9. Bradish has been pretty good but he got destroyed the last time that he faced the Red Sox in a game at Baltimore. In fact, he's 1-4 with a 8.13 ERA in 7 starts against Boston. Houck has just been plain bad. He gave up 10 hits in 3 innings of last start. He was on the wrong-sided of an 11-2 loss (against Bradish) against Baltimore less than a month ago. This one sails over! *AL East TOM

The Sun stole Game 1 but the Liberty have stormed back to win the next two. They're favored to make it three in a row Sunday afternoon. The total is where I'm focusing my attention. Its a close-out game but its a higher total than either of the past two games. NY's close out game with Washington had only 152 points at the end of regulation. (Twenty-three more were scored in OT.) Even after the Game 3 result, the under is 13-6-1 the past 20 meetings between these teams in Connecticut. Nothing easy in this one. Defense rules the day! *Eastern Conf TOY

The total is low for a reason. San Diego State is always tough defensively. Air Force has one of the most talented defenses in the country this year. That elite defense is typically on display when the Aztecs and Falcons get together. The last three meetings have gotten progressively lower-scoring with final scores of 21-17 in 2018, 20-14 in 2021 and 13-3 last year. The Aztecs had eight first downs and one rushing yard last year! (AF had 14 first downs and 14 passing yards.) Most of the same Falcon defenders are back from last year and the Aztecs will again have trouble moving the ball. Look for another defensive battle. *MWC TOY

With essentially no pointspread to worry about, we can just focus on picking the winner. With that being the case, I'll gladly back Illinois. The Boilermakers did win at Virginia Tech. That's not as impressive as it sounds though. The Hokies aren't very strong this season. Since then, the Boilermakers have suffered b2b blowout losses. This is an inexperienced team with a coach in his first year. After Purdue scored the big upset at Champlain last year, the visitor is 4-1 SU and ATS in this series. Bret Beilema knows how costly last year's loss to the Boilermakers was. He can't afford to let the same thing happen. The Illini are 8-3 ATS their last 11 on the road. They'll build momentum off last week's victory and avenge last year's loss. *Big Ten GOY

I always like getting points with the superior team. Even more when my team is playing at home. These teams are both new to the Big 12 this season. Both came up short in their conference opener. The ground game may have struggled but the Cougar passing attack is clicking on all cylinders. Expect another big day through the air against an inexperienced and vulnerable Bearcat secondary. This is not an easy place to play. The Cougars have outscored opponents 41-15 in going 2-0 here so far. They're 11-3 straight-up their last 14 here, 3-0 when the total fell in the 42.5 to 49 range. The Bearcats have played pretty well but they're still a team which lost a lot from last year and which has a new coach. It catches up with them in Provo, Fright night. BYU scores the minor upset in its Big 12 home opener! *Big 12 GOM

The series is tied 1-1. The Sun covered both meetings at New York and got the straight-up split. The Liberty know that they need to reclaim homecourt advantage. With this game now being played at Connecticut, the line is much lower on NY than it was for the first two games. If they win, as I believe that they will, they don't have a big number to worry about covering. Each of the past seven meetings was decided by five or more points. The Liberty were 17-3 on the road this season. That was the best road record in the league. In fact, both these teams had better records away from home. The Liberty are the better team and they'll show it. Lay the points. *WNBA GOM

Its early but this game will likely go a long way in ultimately determining the division champion. After years of suffering, Detroit and its fans desperately want this. You can't always get what you want but in this case, the Detroit faithful will finally be rewarded. The Lions have been stockpiling talent over the years and now have a better team than the Packers. That's why they're small favorites, despite the game being played at Lambeau. You may be surprised to learn that the Lions are 10-2 ATS their last 12 divisional games. They're also 3-0 ATS their past three Thursday night games. The Lions, who already won at Arrowhead, have arguably faced stiffer competition than the Packers. They'll find a way to win this game and to seize early control of the division. *NFC North GOY

This very low total says a lot about these teams. They don't possess the type of offenses that keep defensive coordinators up at night. They're still good to get over this low number though. The Gamecocks have scored 16 or more points in all four games and they're averaging just shy of 26 per game. The Bearkats have struggled to score but that's due to who and where they've been playing. Their three opponents were Houston, BYU and Air Force. A home game against Jacksonville State provides a much easier opportunity to move the ball and score points. They'll take advantage, as will their guests. Go with the Over! *CUSA TOY

Game 1 saw these teams combine for 180 points. Forty-eight of those came in the final quarter. Game 2 has a higher total but will produce a lower final score. The Aces can score but can also dominate teams defensively. They held Chicago to 70 and 59 points in the two games of the opening round. Both those games fell below the total. They'll flex their defensive muscles in this one and keep the final score below the large number. *WNBA Total Of The Month

Both teams played high scoring games on Sunday. This one will be different. Verlander against Castillo facing each other in a huge game. Talk about a heavyweight fight! These guys are both absolute aces. Verlander can still dominate. His last road start, he allowed one earned run in 7 innings. Castillo has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in five of his past six starts, including each of his past three. His last two home starts both finished with identical 3-2 scores. He held Houston to a single unearned run through 7 innings, back in July. Knowng their teams are in need, Castillo and Verlander both bring their A-Game in this one. Enjoy the old fashioned pitcher's duel.

Will Burrow play? My hunch is that he will. Either way, I still really like the under. Even with Burrow, the Cincinnati offense has been a mess. The Bengals rank dead last in the league, in terms of both points per game (13.5) and total yards. Fixing the problems against the Aaron Donald and the Rams won't be easy. (Remember the SB?) The Rams rank #6 in terms of yards allowed per game. The Bengals are better defensively than they've shown. Let's not forget that they allowed only 16.7 ppg last year. Only Dallas (16.5) allowed less. Points won't come easily for either team. Go with the Under! *MNF Total Of The Month

The Steelers looked better than the Raiders last week. They were at home for the second straight week though. The Raiders were playing a road game against one of the best team's in the NFL, their second straight on the road. This time, it's the Raiders who will benefit from being at home. The Raiders are 4-1 ATS the past five instances where they were home favorites of three or less. During that time, the Steelers are 2-3 ATS when off a divisional win. Off their win over the Browns and playing on a short week (Remember, Pittsburgh's last game was on MNF.) the Steelers will struggle. They won a close on against the Raiders at Pittsburgh last meeting but the Raiders are still 5-1 ATS the past six meetings. They'll be fired up for the home opener and will come away with the win and cover. *NFL GOW

It's not a secret that the Falcons are going to feature a lot of running plays. They did so last year and they're doing so again this season. Running the ball with regularity keeps the clock moving. While the Falcons rank in the top 5 in rushing attempts per game, the Lions rank in the Top 10. Atlanta is running 35.5 times per game. Detroit is doing so 30.5 times. So, it's safe to assume that this game is going to see a lot of rushing. The Lions are off a high-scoring game. That reminded many of their previously poor defense and helped in providing a high total. Remember, that the Lions' opener saw them hold KC to only 20 points, a 21-20 final. This is actually a much improved defense from last year. The Falcons defense is playing well. Atlanta has allowed an average of only 17 ppg. Since last year, the Falcons have allowed 24 or fewer points in nine straight games. None of their last eight games have reached the 50 point mark and six of those finished with less than 40. This game will be low-scoring. *Sept. Total Of The Month

I set this O/U line in the low 60s. Washington has the potential to go over this number by itself. I'm not joking. The Huskies scored 56 against Boise State and they've gone over 40 in every game. They're averaging an impressive 614.7 yards of offense per game. The Huskies won't need to go over by themselves though, as Cal will contribute. The Bears scored 31 last week and they scored 58 in their only road game. They're averaging 437+ ypg. Expect some "end of the summer" fireworks, as this turns into a Saturday evening shootout! *total of week

The talent gap between these teams is a lot less than many realize. A few weeks ago, Pittsburgh might have been favored for this game. The Tar Heels are tough but the Panthers are better than their 1-2 record suggests. Speaking of Pittsburgh's 1-2 w/l mark, the Tar Heels are 0-6 ATS The past six times that they faced a team with a losing record. The Panthers gave the Tar Heels all that they could handle each of the past two meetings here. Both went to OT. Both were won by Pitt. In fact, the home team is 4-0 ATS the past four in the series. With the Tar Heels just 3-9 ATS the past 12 times that they were road favorites in the 9.5-12 range, grab the points with the home underdog Panthers. *ACC GOY

At first glance, this might not seem like the most exciting bout. Both fighters are on losing streaks but this is arguably the highlight of the prelims. Each could really use a victory. At 29 years of age, Fialho can still salvage his career. Means, now 39 years old, cannot say the same. Both prefer to strike. That's going to work to Fialho's advantage. Though he has been knocked out a few times, he's got a lot more power than Means. Though he's absolutely capable of winning a decision, I've got the younger Fialho winning this one by KO/TKO. *UFC Fight Of The Week

Home field means a lot for both of these squads. The Broncos won 35-13 on the blue turf last year. However, the last time (2021) the teams played here at San Diego, the Aztecs won 27-16. Including those results, SDSU is 6-2 ATS when facing Boise in MWC play. The Broncos are loaded on offense but a little inexperienced on defense. Through three games, they're allowing 30.7 ppg. They got crushed in their only road game this season. In fact, they're only 1-2 overall. The Aztecs 13-5 SU L3 years at home, are 6-1 their last seven against teams with a losing record. Granted, the Broncos aren't a typical losing team. my point is that they haven't yet hit their stride though, their only win coming at home against North Dakota. Going through a tough scheduling stretch, the Aztecs know they need to step up and score an upset. This one should be close. Grab the points!

Tuesday's win brought the Cubs to 29-18 in divisional action, entering Wednesday. They'll have the edge in Thursday's series finale. Hendrikcks and Oviedo opposed each other back in Sept. 2020, when Oviedo was with St. Louis. Hendricks was great. Oviedo was not. The Cubs won 5-1. Tuesday's loss dropped the Pirates to 27-51 against winning teams, entering Wednesday. With an 8-14 Oviedo hasn't helped. He's got a 2.35 WHIP his last three starts. In those 12.3 innings, he issued 12 walks, while also allowing 17 hits. That many baserunners will catch up to Oviedo against the highly motivated Cubs. The Cubs won 21-0 the last time Hendricks started at home against Pittsburgh. Lay the price with Chicago.

The road team has enjoyed recent success in this series. That will change Thursday night though. The Chanticleers didn't just win last year's game, (at Georgia State) they dominated the Panthers. A 272-78 advantage on the ground and a 268-231 edge through the air. Time of possession was more than 40 mins for Coastal Carolina and less than 20 for Georgia State. This year's Chanticleers are even stronger on defense. Having already played at UCLA, the Chanticleers are battle-tested. They held their own for much of that game (1 point game in 4th quarter) and dominated their next two opponents. The Panthers haven't been tested yet. They've got an inexperienced offensive line and that will catch up with them against their first difficult opponent. Chanticleers are 10-1 SU and 7-2 ATS in September last few years. They're also 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS on Thursday football. Superior defense, homefield and an advantage in the trenches leads to another big win for Coastal Carolina!

Seattle is still scrapping for a spot in the postseason while Oakland has been eliminated for a long time.  Probable starter Castillo for the M’s has been on fire lately with a 4-0 record in his last 5 starts and a 1.60 ERA.  Two of his last 5 starts had more than 6 innings of shutout ball.   Probable starter Blackburn for the A’s has a 5.73 ERA and an abysmal 2.09 WHIP in his last 3 starts, where he has only averaged 3.7 innings pitched. 

Castillo also has a superior bullpen to support him when he comes out after his 6 or so innings. 

Head-to-head this season the Mariners hold a 9-1 edge in their last 10 against the A’s, where the average run differential in the Mariners’ wins is +4.  Lay the runs on this one and take the Mariners.

The Nationals and the White Sox have both been eliminated from the postseason and are starting to play around with their pitching staffs to see what will work for the future.  Probable starter Rutledge for the Nats has one start in the majors to his name and it didn’t go well.  He gave up 7 runs in 3.2 innings of work.   He has bounced around in the minors for 7 teams in the last 4 years with wildly varying degrees of success.  He should be just the remedy the White Sox need to activate their lethargic bats. 

Probable starter Ureno for the White Sox had 5 starts in April, was released by two clubs and now has 2 starts in September.  In his last 5 starts his team has surrendered an average of 9.4 runs.

In their last 7 games the two teams have given up an average total of 11.5 runs/9 innings.  All these numbers point towards that perfect storm of high event baseball.  Make a bowl of popcorn and add up the runs for this over total.

The Saints and Panthers meet up in a key NFC South match up. If last week is anything to go by, the Saints will rely on the arm of Carr to put up points, hopefully more than last week's 16.  For the Panthers, it will be all about the run as newbie QB Young looks like he will need some time to adjust.  Both of these teams faced run-heavy teams in game one.  The Saints held King Henry to 4.3/63 yards. Carolina allowed 130 yds rushing to the Falcons. The Saints pass defense ate up Tannehill and Co. last week.  Facing rookie Bryce Young, who finished with a passer rating of under 50, it will be no contest.  The Panthers allowed Ridder a 111 rating, even when sacking him 4 times.

Carr looked effective if turnover-prone, throwing for 282 passing yards, with a Passer Rating of 96.  He was harried especially in the first half, but put up impressive totals in yards if not points none the less.  The Saints will have to improve on passer protection as Carr was sacked 4 times. He has very good targets this year, including a very speedy rookie in Shaheed.  With Carolina missing a key CB in Horn, the Saints will be able to move the ball in the air effectively.  It is hard to see where Carolina's points will come from on Sunday.  New Orleans gave up zero rush and pass TDs last week, and this is not a strong offense. The favored Saints should win and cover in Prime Time on Monday night.

Burnley’s start to the season has been unkind.  They have surrendered the most goals in the EPL so far this season and have only played 3 games (almost everyone else has played 5).  They are also last in 1st half and 2nd half goals surrendered.  They have had some scheduling bad luck, but still, they are averaging more than 3 goals against per game. 

Notts Forest are unbeaten in their last 4 at home (Brighton, Southampton, Arsenal, Sheffield U.).  They are 8th in goals for in the 1st half and the 2nd half.  2022 signing Awonyi has scored or assisted in each of his last 8 games (9 goals).  They are so direct in their attacking that only West Ham moves the ball upfield at a faster rate. 

All four of the major prediction services predict a Forest win.  Their return to the EPL has been difficult and this one is not going to be any easier as Forest is still flying after their win over Chelsea before the break.  Lay the fraction of a point and play Forest on this one. 

Spoiler alert?  The Guardians swept the Rangers, and the Royals had a series win vs the Astros.  What is in store when the teams meet up in KC?  Likely a Guardians win, if Quantrill continues to pitch as he has since returning from the IL.  He's given up just three runs in his three September starts, with an OP BA of .164.  Meanwhile it has been a lost season for the Royals' Singer. After a missed start for arm fatigue, he has continued to struggle, allowing more than a run an inning and with an OP BA of .383 in his September starts.  Neither bullpen has been effective lately, but the Royals have a dismal record vs right-handers this season.

The Guardians limited Texas to 6 runs in their series, while scoring 23.  The Royals have also put up some runs lately, but they are still giving up more runs than they are scoring.  Compare runs for and against; Cleveland is 5.1/2.9 L7 ; KC is 5.3/5.6.   Let's see if some of that Guardians offense can continue into the Royals series.  Take the Guardians to win on the road .

Tua is the talk of the town after that massive pass attack in Week one.  The Dolphins will face a much tougher defense on Sunday and he is unlikely to get as much time or as little pressure in Week two.  Let's bear in mind that the Dolphins barely won the game, had little running game and the defense really struggled, especially vs the run.  New England's offense including Jones, impressed in week one.  They were unlucky to lose against a tough Eagles team, but as far as Jones' passing game goes, I am still not sold.  Is the Dolphins' defense really as poor as they looked in week one? They were projected to be much improved this year. I believe that adjustments can and will be made, but they are up against Belichik who will have a very considered game plan.  The Dolphins are a small favorite today.  The Patriots' offense does not have the dynamism of the Chargers and with Tua healthy and his fine targets ready, the Dolphins can really score in a hurry.   I believe the Dolphins offense will be very tough to slowdown this early in the season.  Take Miami  to  win and cover.

As dominant as the Rams were in game one vs the Seahawks, their chances of upsetting the 49ers are slim.  Stafford had a field day vs Seattle but was very well protected (0 sacks).  It is highly unlikely that Stafford will have near as much time to operate on Sunday.  The Rams again don't appear to be focusing on the run again this year, and even if they did, SF is very tough on the ground.  The 49ers had 5 sacks last week, and Stafford is not the most mobile of passers.  Purdy, on the other hand, saw a lot of TJ Watt last week, was sacked 3 times, but he still finished with a very solid game, ending with a 111 passer rating.  Purdy has, as we know, great targets,and he put to rest some of the concerns about his success this year. The 49ers ran for 144 yards with McCaffrey leading the way.  He has been a huge thorn in the side of the Rams in past meetings.  The lack of a Rams run game, and the toughness and skill of the 49ers as a complete entity will be more than the Rams can handle.  Look for SF to  give Purdy better protection, and take SF to win and cover.

The Packers appeared the more impressive team in Week One, but played against an arguably weaker opponent and may have key players sitting this week. Both young QBs ended with solid ratings.  Ridder was accurate, but relied heavily on a very short game with just 91 yards passing.  The Falcon's' O line did not support him well, allowing four sacks, but is a good bet for improvement in Game 2.  Love looked very good in the second half, had plenty of time, but completed just 55% of his passes.  He will face much more pressure this week from Atlanta's defense. The Falcons  effectively shut down the Panthers' pass attack, albeit against a rookie QB, last week.

The Falcons' run-centric offense with Allgeier and Robinson was very effective last week (130 yards rushing/ 5 yards per carry)  The Packers weren't great against the run, allowing the Bears 122 yards and 4.2 yards per attempt.  The potential loss or compromise  of Green Bay's RB Jones is very significant.  He was the driving force last week for the Packers and won't easily be replaced, as Dillon was ineffective last week.  This could be a very close game, but Packers' injuries  and the Falcons' new and improved defense will make the difference.  take the Falcons to win and cover.

Arsenal has had a successful, although uninspiring start to this EPL campaign.  They were fortunate to win late vs. Man U, struggled to fend off Palace by one goal, tied Fulham at home and beat Notts Forest by only one.  Along the way they have fought their way to the 2nd best goals against record in the EPL.  When you put that stat next to Everton’s league worst goals for record, it is hard to look past that. 

Everton is looking like a threat to be a relegation club after losing to unimpressive Fulham and Wolves, drawing Sheffield and getting clobbered by Villa.  In their last 6 at home, they have lost 5, scoring 2 and giving up 13.  Even though Arsenal has struggled at Everton historically, this looks like the season they overcome that trend.  Although Everton has created many chances in their games so far (their actual goals is less than their expected goals by more than any other club), they are coming up against a defensive powerhouse that has just started to see Rice and Zinchenko round into form.  And at the other end of the park Saka and Oedegaard have been dominant, and Jesus has 8 goals in 9 games vs. Everton.  Arsenal’s goal creating actions/90 is behind only Brighton and Man City (while Everton’s is tied for last).  Things are going to get worse for Everton before they get better.  Lay the goals and play Arsenal on this one.

Chelsea and Bournemouth have both been unimpressive this season and dating back into the Spring of last season.  In their last encounter in May/23, Chelsea won the day 3-1.  Since then, Chelsea spent millions to get back to what they consider their rightful place.  It will start to pay dividends on Sunday. 

Newcomer Caicedo should play and is starting to make his presence known.  Jackson has had so many shots that against a leaky Bournemouth defense they will finally find their mark.  Fernandez leads the EPL in passes into the final 3rd, passes into the penalty area, progressive passes, through balls and shot creating actions.  Only two clubs have more touches in the penalty area than Chelsea.  Bournemouth has the 6th most saves in the EPL and the 4th most goals conceded so they are vulnerable  All of the above is a perfect storm for Chelsea to finally convert on the plethora of shots that they have produced so far.

Bournemouth’s only win at home in their last 6 was against relegated Leeds, to go with 4 losses and they are 0-2-6 in their last 8 overall in EPL play. 

Chelsea’s record isn’t a whole lot better, but this should be the beginning of a turnaround for the new look Chelsea squad as the pressure is at its peak for them to succeed.  Take Chelsea on this one.

Facing the White Sox in Chicago, the Twins have taken the first two games, outscoring their opponents 20-4.  Will we see three routs in three games?  It is entirely possible, if Lopez continues to pitch as well as he has recently.  The Twins right hander has a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts, striking out 14 in his last appearance.  He has a ton of innings under his belt at this point in the season, but he seems to be handling the work.  Lopez is very good on the road.  A very uneven Toussaint starts for the White Sox.  He lasted only a single inning last time out, allowing 8 runs, but was effective in his three previous starts.  His ERA is much worse when pitching in Chicago. Toussaint will face a hard-hitting squad on Saturday.  The Twins are third in the league over the last two weeks at .266 BA /.824 OPS.  The Sox are enmired in 29th place at the moment at .223/.603. The Twins have really roughed up the Sox'  very lackluster bullpen in the last two games.   Leading 5-0 in games vs the Sox this season, I think you can tack on another win for 6-0.  Take the Twins on the run line to win.

Tennessee is ranked No. 11 in the country at 2-0, while the Florida Gators enter at 1-1. Tennessee is off ht 30-13 win over FCS Opponent Austin Peay, not even coming close to covering the ridiculous 48-point spread.

Florida is also off a blowout win over an FCS Opponent, smashing McNeese State by a score of 49-7 as a 48.5-point favorite.

These teams met last year and the Vols managed the 38-33 shootout win at home, but now it's payback time for the Gators. That said, while I do think an outright win is possible, my official call will be to grab as many points as you can.

Tennessee is led by Joe Milton, who has 429 yards passing and 4:0 TD:INT so far. But the Vols looked poor defensively overall to a weak team, allowing 260 passing yards to Austin Peay. 

Florida finished with 327 yards on the ground last week. QB Graham Mertz has two passing TD's so far. The Gators' defense has been great, so far allowing 191 YPG. 

Milton has never lived up to expectations throughout his now six year career, and I think he'll struggle to cover this spread.

Grab the points, the play is Florida.

Two teams that have yet to play to an over collide here on Saturday afternoon, but I think that the offensive floodgates will finally open up here in Week 3.

Iowa State lost 20-13 to Iowa last week, with Rocco Becht finishing with 203 yards and a TD. The Cyclones only allowed 21.2 PPG, last year, but they also won this exact game by a score of 43-10 at home over Ohio last years.

I foresee a similar final combined score here as well.

Ohio is 2-1 after holding on for a 17-10 win at FAU last weekend. The Bobcats offense was ranked in the Top 50 in 2022 with 29.7 PPG. They especially excelled at home, averaging 40 PPG at Peden Stadium. They did score 27 points in their first home game and I think they'll exceed that here.

This number is a little low, the play is the over.

Brighton is part of the new wave and have only lost one game so far (to another up-and-coming club, West Ham).  They have done it with attacking football.  ManU is always expected to do well, especially at home.  So far they have lost two and only beat minnows, Fulham and Wolves by one goal each. 

Usually ManU has a stout defense at home but will be missing Shaw on the back line and Varane is questionable.  But ManU is 6th in the EPL in saves so lots of shots are getting through.  ManU is still without Mount and now will also be missing Antony as well for their attack which was already middle of the pack in shots on target, shot creation and attacking penalty area touches.  Sancho has been out of favor as well but may have worked his way back for this game.

Brighton is in sharp contrast to this as they lead the EPL in goals for, shots on target, shot creation and attacking penalty area touches.  Brighton is one of the most creative attacking sides in the EPL and they will have a chance to exploit a hurting and vulnerable ManU defence.

Add to this that Brighton has won 3 and tied one of their last 4 head-to-head matches and you have a clincher for choosing Brighton to take the points offered and win the game. 

Palace is 2-2-2 away in their last 6 and Aston Villa is 6-0-0 in their last 6 at home.  In those 6 wins, Villa has outscored their opposition 14-2.  Palace has 6 goals for and 6 goals against in their last 6 away.  That was with Zaha. Now he is gone and Palace is a work in progress against better clubs when it comes to breaking them down.

This season, Palace’s wins have come against low table players Sheffield United and Wolves and against Champions League Plymouth Argyle.  Villa has only lost to Newcastle and Liverpool.  Their wins have been decisive and with lots of goals (an average of 2.66 goals per game).

Three of the major prediction services choose Villa for this one (one of them by two goals).  The best play here is Villa by far.

This is a very different Wolves team than the one that took down Liverpool in Feb/23. Gone are Nunes, Jimenez, Traore, Coady, Neves, Moutinho and Costa.  Cunha is the lone goal scorer among the newcomers.  This season Liverpool is 3-0-1 with 9 goals for and 3 against while Wolves are 1-3-0 with 4 goals for and 8 against.  Wolves are leaky at the back and Liverpool is one of the best attacking clubs in the world. 

Liverpool may be missing 2 or 3 of their first team backline so they could give up a goal but will be too much for Wolves to handle when they attack.  Liverpool dominated the strong attacking Villa with a limited back line before the break so they shouldn’t be troubled with the Wolves’ attack this week. Lay the goals and take Liverpool.

The Twins beat up on the White Sox on Thursday and are now 5-0 against Chicago. Ober likely starts on Friday. He pitched well in the early season but appeared to run out of gas in August. He has been "resting" in the minors, but looked sharp in his only Triple A start. He will face Scholtens, another starter who appears to be running on empty. He has given up 8 runs over 8+ innings in his last two starts, with a .425 OP BA in September. The Twins are 5th in OPS over the last two weeks (.259 BA/.824 OPS). The Sox are just .225/.609 over the same stretch. Better bullpen, better offense, and a refreshed starter; this game is ripe for the picking. Take Minnesota to win.

The Rangers woke up from their slumber about a week ago.  They've since reeled off 6 straight wins, sweeping the Jays. They have also re-found their big bats, hitting .300 BA/.946 OPS/L7.  Texas is a good road team while the Guardians are just .500 at home and have slipped to just 3 wins in 10 games. Cleveland's offense, a problem spot this year, has fallen to .209/.602, and their usually solid bullpen has been sub-par.  The Guardians' starter Giolito has been outright poor since leaving the Cubs.  He did pitch for length in his last start, but his ERA for September climbed to 11.70, and he has allowed 14 HR (not a typo) in his last month and a half.  Jon Gray has pitched very well at times this year, but his starts are shorter lately and his ERA has climbed in September.  The Rangers' pen has been very effective in recent games.
I am a bit surprised at the odds today.  While anything can happen in baseball, this game should be there for the taking for  a Rangers team that is again pressing for the lead in the AL West.  Jump on the Rangers to win.

UTSA won this game by a score of 41-38 in OT last year, barely covering the two-point spread. Here we are a year later and the Roadrunners are much bigger favs, but not nearly big enough in my opinion. 

Army lost 17-13 to Louisiana Monroe, and then followed it up with a 57-0 win over FCS Delaware State. The Black Knights though have more questions than answers still. 

The Roadrunners started the year with a 17-14 loss to Houston, before then responding with the 20-13 win over Texas State in Week 2. 

UTSA starting QB Frank Harris could be sidelined with injury in this one, but even if he is out I still like the home side to not only win this matchup, but to do so in blowout fashion. The Roadrunners looked sharp on defense last week, holding Texas State to just 242 yards of offense. The defense also looked great in the loss to Houston, and I believe the unit will be the difference-maker in this one.

It's "Next Man Up" for the Roadrunners, and I expect everyone else to help shoulder the load as well here.

Lay the points, the play is UTSA.

The Eagles won unconvincingly in week one vs the Patriots.  The Vikings stumbled to a loss against a projected weaker opponent in the Bucs in their first game.  The Vikings put up a ton of passing yards, as usual, but weren't great in the red zone and gave up the ball three times.  They barely attempted a run game, finishing with just 41 yds on 17 attempts.  A one dimensional offense will be an issue against the Eagles' likely formidable pass pressure.  Philadelphia will be down a running back, but do have other options including, of course, Hurts.  The Vikings project to be a much softer defense than the Eagles' Game One opponent.  The Vikings allowed 25 points last week and Hurts and the Eagles will be a large step up from Mayfield's Buccaneer offense.  Cousins is notorious for poor play in the limelight.  Much like last year, the Eagles, after an underwhelming game one, again face  the Vikings at home.  Look for a similar outcome as the Eagles win and cover.

Two very good right-handers meet up today when the D-backs' Kelly faces the Mets' Senga today.  Kelly has been one of the most consistent starters since returning from the IL in July.  He has a 1.42 ERA with 18 K's in his two September starts.  Senga has a 2.82 ERA in his last seven starts.  He faced the Diamondbacks in July, throwing an 8 inning, 1 run gem.  Arizona, at 6-4, has been winning with their pitching.  The offense hasn't managed more than four runs and is averaging less than three in their last six games.  The Mets put up 14 runs in their last two starts against the Diamondbacks, but in their previous five games averaged under three runs.  The Mets have been hitting for power if not for average in the last week; not so the D-backs, who are 25th in the league at .238/.697.  I expect today's game to be low scoring.  Take the Mets and Diamondbacks to stay very low in runs allowed while the starters are in, and hold on for the under.

As good as Josiah Gray was early in the season, he has lost his way in August and September, with just one quality start in his last six appearances.  He has averaged nearly a run an inning, lasting just three or four innings per appearance lately.  He has struggled when pitching on the road this season.  He will face the Pirates' Keller who was crushed in his last start vs Atlanta, but has otherwise been solid, allowing three runs or less in his previous five starts.  Keller is a good bet to bounce back, especially when pitching at home.  The Nationals are just 3-7 in September.  They lost their home part of  back to back series and now face the Pirates at home.  Washington is struggling on offense (29th, .225 BA, .650 OPS) in the last two weeks.  Another short start from Gray will expose their unproductive bullpen.  The Pirates are above .500 in September, and hitting better for average and power.  Look for continued strong work from Keller and a third straight victory from the Pirates.

The Orioles are the first team and the Cards are the other.  Probable starter, lefthander Rom, was in the Orioles system until he was traded to the Cards a few weeks back.  He finally made his major league debut on August 21st and it has been a rough go so far.  His 7.79 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and 0-2 record have revealed a work in progress.  On the other mound, probable starter Gibson for the Orioles has been around the block.  His season has been uneven and eventful but he has held down the fort for the most part.  With the hottest team in the majors at the plate over the last 15 days (1st in avg and OPS) and an impressive runs/9 innings differential of +3.3 over the last 7 days he has all the support he needs.  The Orioles also have a 35-16 record vs. LH starters this season and are 15-4 against teams with a losing record in the second half of the season.  Coming off a loss to these same Cards Tuesday night and you can be sure they will loaded for bear for this one.  Take Orioles on this play.