Saturday 11/26/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Football Betting Odds: Week 13 Line Movements & Last-Minute News
by Alan Matthews

Sadly, I'm old enough to remember the 1991 Heisman Trophy race. Michigan receiver Desmond Howard probably was going to win college football's most prestigious award no matter what he did in the regular-season finale against Ohio State that year in Ann Arbor. Remember, there were no conference championship games then. Shoot, it took 20 more years for there to be one in the Big Ten.

But on Nov. 23, 1991, at Michigan Stadium, Howard ensured he would win the Heisman and became the first player, at least that I know of, to strike the Heisman pose during the game -- he did it after an electrifying 93-yard punt return for a touchdown in Michigan's 31-3 victory. I hate Michigan, but that was awesome. Now you see guys from the Mid-American Conference doing it after every touchdown. Howard won the Heisman in a landslide with 2,077 votes, with Florida State quarterback Casey Weldon second way back at 503 votes. (FYI: the best NFL player of the Top 10 Heisman finishers in 1991 was easily a San Diego State freshman running back named Marshall Faulk, who finished ninth.)

I mention Howard because this is for the most part the final week of college football's regular season. Most Heisman ballots will be in after this weekend's games. And Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson seems to have an insurmountable lead and is the betting favorite at whatever sportsbook you chose. But it's possible -- possible -- that Michigan do-it-all safety/running back/returner Jabrill Peppers could make a late push with a big game and signature moment in Columbus on Saturday when No. 3 Michigan visits No. 2 Ohio State in the biggest regular-season game yet in the three-year College Football Playoff Era.

The Buckeyes are currently -6.5 or -7 depending on which sportsbooks you shop. If you are backing Ohio State, as I am, then obviously you want the smaller number. There is one big injury to be aware of, and it's to Michigan starting QB Wilton Speight. He reportedly broke the collarbone in his non-throwing shoulder two weeks ago in the loss to Iowa, but he was in uniform in last week's close win against Indiana and took a few pre-game throws. But backup John O'Korn played -- and not well. Coach Jim Harbaugh is calling Speight a 50-50 proposition of starting. I'm pretty sure Harbaugh knows the answer. Maybe there was no break or it was very minor. Or maybe Harbaugh is simply playing mind games with Urban Meyer. I don't think Speight starting will move the line.

The Big Ten is the center of the universe this weekend in my opinion as if things break right this week and then next, it can easily get two teams into the playoff. Here are some news, notes and any major line moves for some of Saturday's games around the country, in no particular order.

No. 13 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama (-17.5, 47): The Iron Bowl line has dropped 2.5 points and the Tigers are taking a sizable lean. That surprises me a little. Really, who has Auburn beaten? LSU is just OK. Arkansas was ranked when the Tigers crushed the Razorbacks, but that's an average team. Ole Miss? Not even bowl eligible entering Week 13. The two good teams that Auburn played, Clemson and Texas A&M, it lost to (probably being generous calling the Aggies good). And Auburn lost at a mediocre Georgia squad. Two big injury questions for Auburn here in QB Sean White and SEC leading rusher Kamryn Pettway. Jeremy Johnson started the last game, Auburn's 55-0 win over Alabama A&M, in place of the injured White (shoulder). Pettway, who has rushed for 1,106 yards and seven TDs in just eight games, has missed the past two with a quad injury. I would be shocked if those two don't play. Auburn would ensure itself a New Year's Six bowl with a victory. Alabama probably only falls to No. 2 in the CFP Top 25 (behind the Michigan-Ohio State winner) with an unlikely loss.

Cincinnati at Tulsa (-23, 62.5): Really not much to see here other than it's the biggest line move on the board as it opened as low as -17.5. The story here is that of Bearcats coach Tommy Tuberville. I feel quite confident this will be his final game at Cincinnati. The Bearcats were 9-4 his first two seasons, slipped to 7-6 last year and are 4-7 entering this game. I'm not even sure why people think Tuberville is so great. He's still living off that 2004 Auburn season when the Tigers finished 13-0 and No. 2 in the nation. Auburn missed out on playing for the BCS national title as No. 1 USC crushed No. 2 Oklahoma -- then the Trojans later were stripped of that title because of Reggie Bush. On the flip side here, Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery is a very hot candidate around the nation and should get some Power 5 interviews. He served as an Art Briles assistant at various Texas high school and college spots for more than a decade before he left Baylor two years ago for Tulsa. Montgomery would seem a natural fit then for Baylor, but that school wants to distance itself from anyone associated with Briles.

No. 15 Florida at No. 14 Florida State (-7.5, 45.5): This line has risen 2.5 points; I loved the Seminoles under a touchdown, but now I'm not as sure. As has been the case the past few weeks, the Gators are down a bunch of injured starters, led by QB Luke Del Rio. Could Florida jump into the Top 4 of the CFP with a win here and then huge upset next week of Alabama? Florida State is playing for an outside shot at a New Year's Six bowl game. It will be the final home game for Dalvin Cook (he's turning pro), arguably the best running back in school history, and possibly for FSU coach Jimbo Fisher as I've seen reports that he could agree to the LSU job by Sunday. Fisher going or staying will definitely happen very soon after this game either way. I've also heard rumors that LSU might announce Tom Herman as its coach this weekend and Fisher is staying. So stay tuned. Fisher is 5-1 against the Gators since becoming head coach in 2010. Cook has 4,166 career rushing yards, which is an FSU record and ranks No. 3 in ACC history. The Noles go for the state title here after already beating Miami and South Florida this year.

Boston College at Wake Forest (-3, 36): You could promise to have Elle MacPherson sit in my lap the entire time and I still wouldn't watch this game. I mention it because I haven't seen a total this low all season. Wake Forest is already bowl eligible at 6-5 and is looking for its first seven-win season since 2008. Dave Clawson has done a nice job there. Clawson said he expects QB John Wolford to start Saturday. Wolford missed last week's game against Clemson with shoulder and ankle injuries. BC can get to 6-6 and bowl eligible with a victory and has probably done enough already to save Steve Addazio's job. So why is this total so ridiculous? Both are good defensive teams but just awful on offense. The Deacons are averaging 309 yards (124th nationally) and 19.7 points (121), while BC is at 299 yards (127th) and 19.3 points (123rd). Last year, these clubs set back offensive football about 60 years in a 3-0 Wake win. The teams combined for 412 yards and six turnovers. I'd still go under that number.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Best Bets - Week 13

After a very strong month of November with my college football best bets, last week's selections hit the wall in a hurry as Illinois could not score a single point vs. Iowa, and Florida and LSU had their own offensive issues as well.

With this being the final week of the regular season before Conference Championship games get underway next week, it's time to get back in the win column.

While many eyes will be on all the top teams in the playoff picture in their respective rivalries, it's the Pac-12 that's grabbed my attention this week and I'm hoping to turn a nice little profit with this selection.

Best Bet #1: Notre Dame +17.5

Nothing has gone right for the Irish this year as they won't be going bowling with a 4-7 SU mark entering this week. It's been a catastrophe of errors for Notre Dame in almost every game this season as they've blown leads early, blown leads late, come out flat and got blown out early, and just seemingly couldn't find ways to win games.

But with six of their seven losses coming by a touchdown or less (and the seventh loss was by 8 points), this is simply too many points to give them in this spot.

Right now everyone in the college football world is gushing over how well USC has played the final two months of the year as freshman QB Sam Darnold has been great in leading the Trojans to seven straight victories and a 6-1 ATS mark during that span.

While there is no denying that USC is definitely on a roll right now as five of those six ATS victories were when they were laying double digits, this is not particularly a favorable spot for them to be giving up that much chalk.

Notre Dame is still a very dangerous team despite what their record states and although this isn't a conference game, the Notre Dame/USC rivalry has very deep roots and will be played as such.

While some will argue that the Irish have already folded up shop on this season – which very well may be true – no chance at a Bowl game means that this rivalry contest is their “Bowl” game for this year. I fully expect this talented Irish team to come out playing with a carefree, nothing to lose attitude (they don't have anything to lose), knowing that an outright win would spoil any slim chance USC has at making the playoffs.

We've seen this matchup spoil the season for one program or the other on multiple occasions over the past decade and DeShone Kizer and company will be up to the task of playing spoiler.

Notre Dame has only been underdogs once all year – a stat that speaks to how big a disappointment the year has been – and that was when they were getting +2.5 @ NC State in the middle of a Hurricane. The fact that all seven of their losses have been by a single score doesn't hurt here either, especially when they've covered the spread in three of the past four meetings with USC.

The Trojans are a great team and well deserving of all the recent accolades they've received, but this is the definition of one of those “trap” games where the Trojans look across at Notre Dame's record and believe that an easy win is in store. The Irish are a much better team than their record shows and giving a team more than two TD's on the spread when they haven't lost by more than eight points all year is too good to pass up.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kentucky Wildcats (6-5) at Louisville Cardinals (9-2)

Date: November 26, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

The disappointment of the loss to Houston last week still seems to be lingering a bit with Louisville heading into Saturday's regular-season finale against Kentucky.

The No. 11 Cardinals (9-2, 7-1 ACC) and unranked Wildcats (6-5, 4-4 SEC) kick off at noon ET at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville with ESPN cameras covering the action.

The 36-10 whipping by the Cougars essentially squashed whatever hopes the Cardinals had of garnering one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. At 11-1, they would have been in the conversation. At 10-2, not so much.

"We blew it. We had an opportunity sitting there," coach Bobby Petrino said immediately after the game. "It was one of those situations where they were better than us tonight. There's no question about it."

Mistakes, which started with the Cardinals fumbling the opening kickoff away to set up Houston's first touchdown, led to their downfall. They lost two other fumbles, were penalized 15 times for 114 yards, allowed a remarkable 11 sacks, and got only one touchdown and a field goal on three trips inside the red zone.

"When you look at a video when you get beat, you always consider two things," Petrino said. "Did we just get beat, or did we beat ourselves?

"Certainly that game was a combination of the two."

But it's time to move on, and Petrino thinks the Cardinals have.

"Our focus is completely on this game," he said, looking to Kentucky. "And winning this game and doing everything we need to do be successful in winning this football game. And, like I said, send the seniors out with a win."

The Wildcats come into the affair having already reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010 with last week's 49-13 win over Austin Peay, unlike the last two years when they needed to beat Louisville for a sixth win. Thus they will be playing without that kind of pressure weighing on them.

"I don't know if it is a relief," Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said, "but it is certainly better. I wish we were sitting at seven or eight, but definitely a better situation."

Freshman Benny Snell has rushed for a Kentucky freshman-record 1,006 yards, a good bunch of it by taking direct snaps from the "wildcat" formation. Junior Boom Williams has amassed 1,072 yards in more conventional fashion.

"They've made a commitment to running the football," Petrino said, "We know going into the game we're going to need to stop the run, and we're going to need to the ball to win the game.

"So it should be a good matchup."

Quarterback Stephen Johnson, a junior college transfer who took over when Drew Barker suffered a season-ending back injury the third game of the season, also has been a big key in the Wildcats' turnaround from an 0-2 start.

"They now have a quarterback that can run the ball and throw the ball deep," Petrino said. "And they're running a lot of the wildcat game. I think the installation of the quarterback has really helped because he has a strong arm and can throw the deep ball.

"Once you loosen people up, you can run the football."

Of course, Louisville has a pretty good runner and passer at quarterback as well. Sophomore Lamar Jackson has rushed for nearly 125 yards a game and passed for another 283. He has scored 19 touchdowns and passed for another 28.

He has Stoops' respect.

"What I admire most about Lamar Jackson is you can see his leadership and you can see his toughness," Stoops said. "Just watching some of their games when I could get a chance throughout the year, and, of course, on film you don't see as much as on TV, but you could see how strong he is and what type of leader he is.

"They are good across the board and well-coached across the board, but when they need a play he is there. He will either run or throw it or make a good decision and will his team to wins.

"You have to have a lot of respect for someone like that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Michigan Wolverines (10-1) at Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1)

Date: November 26, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State-Michigan game is big enough by itself to be considered one of the greatest rivalries in college football.

No matter what the records are, the annual border battle is intense for the players and fans. Bragging rights are a big deal, particularly in Ohio. This game means everything to the players.

This year, there's even more at stake when second-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) and No. 3 Michigan (10-1, 7-1) square off on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus (noon, ABC).

The two teams are playing for a share of the Big Ten East Division title, the right to go to the conference championship game in Indianapolis next month and an anticipated berth in the College Football Playoff.

"It's officially rivalry week," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer declared after last Saturday's narrow escape at Michigan State with a 17-16 victory. "Our eyes are forward. Let's go."

Without a doubt, this is the most important game of the season in college football. ESPN's College GameDay is expanding to five hours from three during rivalry Saturday.

"It's going to be intense. The game of the century," Ohio State defensive end Jalyn Holmes said after the Buckeyes survived at Michigan State when the Spartans failed on a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt with less than five minutes remaining.

A win over Michigan doesn't necessarily guarantee Ohio State a berth in the Big Ten championship or a playoff berth. If Ohio State takes down Michigan and Penn State beats Michigan State on Saturday in State College, Pa., the Nittany Lions go to Lucas Oil Stadium to likely face Wisconsin, based on a head-to-head win over the Buckeyes last month.

All the Buckeyes can do is win and then hope Michigan State pulls off the upset. Even if Ohio State beats Michigan and doesn't get to Indianapolis, there's still a strong possibility of landing a spot in the four-team national playoff.

Asked about the postseason possibilities, Meyer dodged the question in his only media availability of the week. As an Ohio native who grew up watching this game, he recognizes the history and importance of Michigan-Ohio State.

"I hope that our two tackles' ankles are completely healed," Meyer responded. "And we have to have a great Tuesday practice."

For the Wolverines, the formula is much simpler. Win and they're in Indianapolis for the first time since the Big Ten begin playing its championship game in 2011. Michigan hasn't won a conference title since 2004.

"I feel like we're ready to go to battle, in a football kind of way," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "And I'm ready to lead them."

Ohio State has dominated the series in recent years, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings. The only Michigan victory came in 2011 after Jim Tressel resigned as Ohio State coach in the wake of a scandal and Luke Fickell took over for one year before Meyer arrived.

In Harbaugh's first year in 2015, the Wolverines didn't fare so well, losing 42-13 at home to the Buckeyes. Harbaugh's arrival has definitely injected some extra pizazz into the game, if it needed any more. The Meyer-Harbaugh coaching matchup is reminiscent of the Woody Hayes-Bo Schembechler era when the series was in its heyday in the 1970s.

Saturday's clash will be the biggest in the series since the epic 2006 game when the teams entered as Nos. 1 and 2 in the country. Ohio State, led by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, came away with a 42-39 victory in Columbus. The Buckeyes have not lost to the Wolverines in Columbus since 2000.

"I've never been in a top-five Michigan game," Holmes said. "But we could either both be in the top five or we could both be 0-11. It's still going to be intense."

The teams appear to match up evenly. Both defenses are dominant and the two offenses are balanced. They rank No. 1 and 2 in the Big Ten in scoring offense and defense, and also in total offense and defense.

"When you face an elite defense like this, you need everything you've got," Meyer said.

Michigan has more experience at the outside skill positions on offense and also has at its disposal the multitalented Jabrill Peppers, who plays defensive back but also returns kicks and takes some snaps on offense.

Ohio State is led by J.T. Barrett at quarterback. He could be the difference-maker in this game because of his ability to run and pass with a school-record 99 career touchdowns accounted for. Two years ago, he was in the process of leading the Buckeyes to a win over the Wolverines when he suffered a broken ankle at the start of the fourth quarter.

Michigan, meanwhile, had John O'Korn make his first start of the season at quarterback in last week's win over Indiana after Wilton Speight, who started all year, suffered a shoulder injury in the Wolverines' loss at Iowa. Harbaugh won't say which one will start Saturday, only that Speight is day to day.

The quarterback situation adds some intrigue to a game that needs no more hype.

"It's No. 2 vs. No. 3. We've never been in this position before. This is unreal," Michigan offensive lineman Erik Magnuson said. "A lot different than in the past when it was like 'hopefully, we can pull out a big upset. ... Now now."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: West Virginia Mountaineers (8-2) at Iowa State Cyclones (3-8)

Date: November 26, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Coming off a lopsided and error-plagued 56-28 home loss to Oklahoma that ended its hopes of winning a Big 12 championship, 19th-ranked West Virginia will now try to rebound at suddenly red-hot Iowa State on Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa.

Two weeks ago the Cyclones (3-8, 2-6 Big 12) looked like the perfect opponent to play after a crushing loss. No more. Matt Campbell's squad has won back-to-back Big 12 games for the first time since the 2013 season and come in off a record-setting 66-10 shellacking of Texas Tech.

Saturday's contest also is Senior Day for Iowa State. Little wonder that West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has told the Mountaineers (8-2, 5-2) to be ready for their "toughest week of the year."

"We put a lot into (the Oklahoma) game, and it didn't go the way we wanted it to," Holgorsen said Tuesday. "We're disappointed with it, but we've got a tough one on the road against Iowa State, and you saw what they did to Texas Tech. It's going to be the toughest week of the year, but I'm anxious to see how the guys respond.

"One thing I know about this group is they're going to continue to fight and continue to work. There's no doubt in my mind they're going to prepare and practice and put as much into it as they possibly can. I know they're going to do that. With that said, it's going to be a tough week."

Despite the disappointing loss to the Sooners, the Mountaineers, who finish Big 12 play on Dec. 3 with a home game against slumping Baylor, still have plenty to play for.

The Mountaineers can still set a high for wins since joining the league in 2012. They can also win 10 games for the ninth time in school history. And if it can end Big 12 play with two wins and then pick up a victory in a bowl game, West Virginia can match its school record with a sixth 11-win season.

"We spent the majority of this year with this 2016 team with zero expectations," Holgorsen said. "We've practiced and played pretty good throughout the course of this season. The pressure's off. We didn't get it done when it came to the Big 12, but that doesn't mean that there's not a lot to play for. I think this group rebounds and gets out there and gets ready to play another game. We've still got a lot to play for obviously. We'll try to get win No. 9 this week.

"A lot of teams wish they were in that position."

Iowa State comes in off one of its finest offensive performances in school history. The Cyclones set all-time school records for points against a conference opponent (66), margin of victory against a league opponent (56) and points in a quarter (31) and fell just three points short of most points in a half (48) with 45 in the first 30 minutes. Iowa State finished with 608 yards of total offense, its first 600-yard game since 2008.

"To be honest with you I thought we had a great week of practice, and we deserved the right to feel confident going into the football game to play well," said Campbell, the 2015 Mid-American Conference coach of the year at Toledo, who is finishing up his first year in Ames. "I thought that was closest to the best 60 minutes we played completely this year. I'm really proud of our senior class. Those guys stayed the course and really allowed us to continue to get better as the season went on."

It was the best game by far for the two Iowa State quarterbacks, each of whom did what he does best. Jacob Park threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, while Joel Lanning ran for 171 yards and five scores.

"(Texas Tech) played an entirely different defense than we expected or had seen on film," Campbell said. "I think our ability to adapt within the game, our ability to execute, and the ability to have options is certainly great. I thought both Jacob and Joel played about as fluid and well executed game between the two as I have seen."

The Cyclones have one more chance to build optimism for the final recruiting blitz and the upcoming 2017 season against a West Virginia team that enters with a Top 25 ranking but enough flaws to make an upset possible. Campbell isn't under any illusions that the win last week is enough to finish with.

"Obviously, we've got one last big challenge left before this season ends," Campbell said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Michigan State Spartans (3-8) at Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2)

Date: November 26, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

They'll probably try to avoid it, but no one can blame members of Penn State's football team if they are playing a little scoreboard-watching during warm-ups Saturday.

Three-and-a-half hours before the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) take the field for their Senior Day finale against Michigan State (3-8, 1-7), there is a pretty significant conference game taking place at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio, between No. 3 Michigan (10-1, 7-1) and No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1).

If the favored Buckeyes take care of business and defeat the Wolverines for the 12th time in 13 years, Penn State will take the field with a chance to go to the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis by virtue of its dramatic 24-21 comeback win over Ohio State earlier this season. However, Michigan, which defeated the Nittany Lions 49-10 back on Sept. 24 at the Big House, owns the tiebreaker if it can upset the Buckeyes.

Penn State was just 2-2 after that ugly loss in Ann Arbor and some restless Nittany Lions fans were calling for head coach James Franklin to be fired. But seven consecutive Big Ten wins, including one that featured a 17-point fourth quarter and 14-point comeback against Ohio State, has changed the atmosphere in State College dramatically.

"It's surreal," defensive end Evan Schwan said. "I never thought as a freshman that we'd be in the position we are now. I'm very proud of everyone on the team, the fans and staff for sticking with us and working through the tough times."

Schwan knows all about those times. He was an underclassmen during the toughest years in program history, when the NCAA levied brutal sanctions -- banning the team from a bowl game for two years, gutting its scholarship counts and allowing players to transfer without having to sit out.

Now, Schwan is one of 12 seniors who are helping lead the way and getting crucial contributions from their younger teammates who have elevated their game in what's been a dominant run since their last loss to the Wolverines.

An offensive turnaround under first-year coordinator Joe Moorhead has reaped massive reward. The defense has done the same with two of its biggest pieces -- linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell back.

Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions aren't erring on special teams and are winning second halves every week.

They'll try to continue those trends against a Michigan State team that has gone the other way. The Spartans won the Big Ten title last season but haven't been able to ride a youth movement like the Nittany Lions. Michigan State has started nine true freshmen this season and will likely be without top defensive lineman Malik McDowell again in this one.

"Obviously, this is a unique situation," Franklin, who went 6-6 and 7-5 in his first two seasons at Penn State, said. "Like I mentioned before, we're tough to beat at home when that stadium is rocking with 107,000. We're going to need that on Saturday."

Michigan State has shown that it won't go down easily. The Spartans nearly upset Ohio State last week at home, losing 17-16 after failing to convert a go-ahead two-point conversion with 4:41 remaining. Running back LJ Scott continues to play his best football, running for a career-high 160 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes while also catching a 64-yard touchdown pass. The sophomore has run for more than 100 yards in four of the last five games.

"There are positives out there," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "There are a lot of positives and we're a very young football team in a lot of respects, but it doesn't help ease the pain when you lose and you lose close."

Michigan State has led in every game it has played this season but still finds itself at 3-8 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten heading into the finale at Penn State. Last week's loss to Ohio State was no different as missed opportunities and a handful of crucial penalties kept the Spartans from the win.

The failure to convert the two-point conversion in the fourth quarter was just one example of not executing down the stretch and it was followed by a sack and interception in the last minute.

"I think we've had chances throughout every football game we've played this year," Dantonio said. "We've been ahead, and then something's happened. That's the game. We gotta be able to make plays at the end of a football game, this one's no different."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Auburn Tigers (8-3) at Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0)

Date: November 26, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Top-ranked Alabama already wrapped up the SEC West and plays East winner Florida for the conference championship Dec. 3, but that doesn't mean the Crimson Tide is looking past Auburn.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said the Iron Bowl rivalry will define the "legacy of the season" in terms of what the Crimson Tide is trying to accomplish.

"I think this is one of the greatest rivalry games in the country," Saban said. "I know it means a lot to a lot of people in this state as well as nationally and the competitors in the game probably enjoy this kind of competition, this kind of rivalry as much as any game that they play."

The Crimson Tide host the No. 16 Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).

Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) goes into the game with the nation's No. 1 defense against the run, holding foes to fewer than 69 yards per game rushing, and No. 2 in scoring defense (11.4 points). The defense scored nine touchdowns on five fumble returns and four interception runbacks this season.

Add in three punt returns for touchdowns and the Tide scored 12 non-offensive touchdowns, twice as many as the next two FBS teams on the list (Ohio State and Houston).

Offensively, the Tide averages nearly 478 yards in total offense with freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts passing for 197 per game and rushing for 73. Running backs Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs combined to average more than 121 yards rushing.

Auburn's defense, however, allowed only 15 touchdowns in 11 games, limited opponents to about 118 rushing yards per game, and allowed an average of 334.5 yards in total offense, which is 18th-best in the country and fifth in the SEC.

The Tigers (8-3, 5-2) can also to put pressure on opposing passers (25 sacks, 82 quarterback hurries) and when they can't get to the quarterback, they have a knack for batting the ball down at the line of scrimmage. Defensive linemen Montravius Adams, Marlon Davidson, Dontavius Russell, Maurice Swain and Derrick Brown have combined for 10 pass breakups.

"Obviously, we're working for sacks," Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. "But more importantly, we're working to affect the quarterback, and one of the ways to affect the quarterback is to get your hands up and bat balls."

But the Tigers are unsettled on the offensive side of things. Though running back Kamryn Pettway, their leading rusher with 1,108 yards, is expected to play after missing the last two games with a leg injury and starter Kerryon Johnson's ankle seems to get better each week, the situation at quarterback remains a mystery.

Sophomore Sean White sat out last week's victory over Alabama A&M with a sore shoulder and senior Jeremy Johnson started. Johnson was effective in only his third game this season, completing 14 of 19 passes for 147 yards in the 55-0 rout.

But that was against an overmatched FCS foe. Need it even be said that Alabama's defense presents a much bigger challenge?

White, who is 129 of 198 passing for 1,644 yards and nine touchdowns, has been on and off the field in recent games. He didn't start against Vanderbilt but came in to rally the Tigers from a three-point halftime deficit to a 23-16 victory.

The next week, he started against Georgia but re-injured his shoulder and was largely ineffective as the Tigers lost 13-7. He didn't play at all last week as Johnson and John Franklin III took over.

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said that Johnson could start again with Franklin as an alternative.

"I thought Jeremy and John both did a good job," Lashless said of their performance last week. "They've been repping for us the last couple of weeks of practice when Sean hasn't been practicing. We'll see where Sean is in the process.

"We'll try to make a call, at least on our end, earlier in the week so we can prepare the way we need to, but I wouldn't rule any of them out right now."

Alabama prevailed 29-13 last year and won six of the last eight meetings to take a 44-35-1 series lead.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-7) at USC Trojans (8-3)

Date: November 26, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

The 12th-ranked University of Southern California Trojans (8-3, 7-2) wrap up their regular season Saturday against the rival Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the L.A. Coliseum, having completed the conference schedule with seven consecutive victories. One of those wins came against Colorado, which is 7-1 in the league but plays host to a tough Utah team Saturday after the USC game.

If the Utes win, the Trojans advance to the conference title game as the Pac-12 South winner because of its head-to-head victory over the Buffaloes.

"We'll be big Utah fans next week," USC coach Clay Helton said after his team beat UCLA 36-14 on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. "We've set our mark at 7-2, and we've got to see if Colorado can match it."

As for what the Trojans can control, they can only continue to play well and hope to position themselves for the biggest bowl possible. Nothing less than a smackdown of struggling Notre Dame (4-7), which coughed up a pair of 17-point leads last week in a 34-31 home loss to Virginia Tech, is expected.

The hits kept coming Tuesday when the NCAA ruled that Notre Dame must vacate wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to academic misconduct, stemming from a student athletic trainer completing coursework for football players. The university announced it would appeal the decision.

The 2012 season includes a 12-0 run in the regular season.

Kelly called it "student on student" cheating, adding that he felt "zero" responsibility in the matter.

"I'm proud of our support staff, our academic support staff," he said. "I'm proud of the people that represented us here at Notre Dame during this time."

While the school litigates those old victories, Kelly and the Irish will be trying to pull off an upset to get one more in 2016.

"Their personnel is fabulous," Helton said of the Irish. "I know they'll come to play. A Brian Kelly team always does."

Well, USC did win 49-14 when the teams last met in Los Angeles to end the 2014 regular-season.

The Trojans enter this meeting in a much better place, thanks in large part to redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. With his arm, smarts and crafty ability to escape pressure, he has positioned himself on some Heisman lists behind Louisville's Lamar Jackson, even though Darnold has started only eight games.

Helton inserted Darnold into the starting lineup in the fourth game after a 1-2 start with quarterback Max Browne. The Trojans lost Darnold's first start, when the defense gave up a touchdown in the final seconds to Utah, but haven't lost since.

USC has scored at least 36 points five times in its seven-game winning streak. Helton says there is a trust level with Darnold that is allowing offensive coordinator Tee Martin to be more aggressive.

"A lot has to do with Sam. We're able to play with our hair on fire right now," Helton said. "Our success on third down ... we're gunning on third down. There's a lot of trust from Game 1 to now."

Darnold is eighth nationally with a passing efficiency rating of 162.4.

Notre Dame has one of the top NFL quarterback prospects in DeShone Kizer, but USC has two of the nation's most athletic cornerbacks in Adoree' Jackson and Iman Marshall.

"The two corners we have right now are doing a tremendous job," Helton said.

USC has held the past two opposing starting quarterbacks to under 50 percent passing -- Washington's Jake Browning (17 of 36) and UCLA's Mike Fafaul (15 of 31).

Kizer was 16 of 33 for 235, with two touchdowns, last week against Virginia Tech. The Irish also posted their second consecutive 200-yard rushing day, led by running back Josh Adams. He has three 100-yard rushing games this season.

Notre Dame looked good at times on defense, with tackle Jarron Jones and end Isaac Rochell up front, but the Irish are statistically average, ranking 55th nationally by allowing 26.3 points per game.

Each of the Irish's seven losses have come by eight points or less, but the Trojans are hot enough to run up the margin.

Kelly is still looking for elusive consistency.

"Some of that is guys growing up, getting more experience," he said. "Some of that is better coaching. But, yeah, there's nothing endemic within the program as much as it is a team that has not executed consistently for four quarters."

Notre Dame leads this traditional intersectional rivalry 46-35-5, which does not include the Trojans' 2005 victory that was later vacated due to NCAA penalty. Including that 2005 vacated game, USC has won 10 of the last 14 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks (6-5) at Clemson Tigers (10-1)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says his team is in the "championship phase" of its season, and, after clinching the ACC Atlantic Division title last week, there's another one at stake this week -- the state championship.

The Tigers (10-1, 7-1 ACC) will play host to arch-rival South Carolina (6-5, 3-5 SEC) on Saturday in the regular-season finale with the Palmetto Bowl trophy going to the winner. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Clemson is 7:30 p.m. ET with ESPN doing the telecast.

Swinney refers to the Tigers' annual game against in-state rival South Carolina as "a season of its own."

"It really doesn't matter what the records are and all that type of stuff," Swinney said. "When you get into these rivalry-type games, it's a lot of emotion and anything that can happen, so we know that we have to play very well."

South Carolina coach Will Muschamp is getting his first exposure to this rivalry, but knows intrastate "feuds" after recent coaching stints at Auburn (Alabama) and Florida (Florida State).

"I don't know if the other stops will help you at all, other than being here your first day and walking by people talking about beating Clemson," he said. "You hear that very quickly, and you understand the importance of the game.

"We've talked about winning our state all the time -- whether it's recruiting or on the field, whatever we need to do. The competition between the two schools is very healthy."

Swinney liked the way his team responded last week following its only loss of the season. Following the setback at home to Pittsburgh, the Tigers rebounded in a big way with a 35-13 victory at Wake Forest. They flashed an effective rushing game behind Wayne Gallman, who posted a season-high 161 yards, and Clemson finished with more yards rushing (254) than passing (202) for the first time this season.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to be the catalyst. He has passed for just over 298 yards a game and is the second-leading rusher on the team with 422 yards to Gallman's 831. His favorite targets, wide receivers Mike Williams and Artavis Scott, have combined for 128 receptions for 1,481 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Watson, who has announced his intention to bypass his senior season to enter the NFL draft, is looking to go 3-0 against South Carolina in his collegiate career. He has gone 34-of-46 passing for 561 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 127 yards in the two previous games.

"I don't know if you're going to stop a guy like him," Muschamp said. "You have to limit him, and that's exactly the word we've used.

"Where he gives you the most issues is the off-rhythm plays and his creativity. It's very hard to finish on him in the pocket because he's a bigger target who is a hard guy to get down. He's a strong guy, and he also runs extremely well.

"All of the things you want in your quarterback he possesses. Number one is his leadership ability and his ability to positively affect the guys around him."

Two freshmen and a sophomore have helped turn South Carolina around. Muschamp took the redshirt off a true freshman at midseason, turning the offense over to Jake Bentley, and Bentley has made that decision pay off by completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 198 yards a game.

Running back Rico Dowdle, who also was in high school this time a year ago, jump-started the running game. He has rushed for 684 yards in seven games and is coming off a 226-yard effort last week against Western Carolina.

And sophomore wide receiver Deebo Samuel has recovered from an early-season hamstring problem and has caught a team-high 41 passes for 579 yards in eight games.

"It's not going to take anything spectacular," Muschamp said on preparing for the "Death Valley" atmosphere. "We just need to go play well. We need to go play hard. We need to go play fast. We need to play physical. We need to go play with great effort. We need to play smart.

"We need to keep our composure in a rivalry game -- all of the things that you always constantly address with your guys in this type of game."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Utah Utes (8-3) at Colorado Buffaloes (9-2)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Colorado is one victory away from finishing a worst-to-first season.

If the ninth-ranked Buffaloes (9-2, 7-1) can defeat visiting No. 21 Utah in the final game of the regular season in Boulder on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX), they will win the Pac-12 South, just one year after finishing last with a 1-8 conference mark.

A victory by Utah (8-3, 5-3) means USC advances to the conference title game. The Trojans have finished league play at 7-2 and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Colorado.

"We are very happy to be in the position that we are in," said Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau. "We're very happy to be able to go out there and grind one out and get a good win."

Colorado had lost 23 consecutive games to ranked foes before defeating No. 20 Washington State 38-24 last Saturday.

"We have something called the gold games and we have gold bricks," running back Phillip Lindsay said. "So any time we beat a ranked team, we get a gold brick. This is our first time since we've been ranked that we get a gold brick so it's a pretty big deal for us. We're excited and we're happy and we have to continue to ride this wave and get ready for the next game."

Utah was also in contention for the South title until it was upset 30-28 at home to Oregon on Saturday. The Utes will have to be on guard against an emotional letdown.

"It's a concern when you have an emotional game like that and it ends like it did with so much disappointment," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.

"There was a lot of frustration in our locker room, which was different than after the UW game (a 31-24 loss), where there was a lot of anger. This was frustrating. There is concern, but this team has shown the ability all year long to bounce back and play well, so we expect that."

Two of Utah's seniors reached milestones last Saturday -- defensive Hunter Dimick set the program's career sack record with 29, and Joe Williams became the 13th Utah player to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season -- despite missing five games due to a temporary retirement.

When asked about the achievement, all that Williams could say is: "Colorado."

Colorado and Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011, but the "Rumble in the Rockies" -- something of a forced rivalry between the schools -- has never been for much in terms of real stakes. The Utes have been in contention for the South title late in the season, but the Buffaloes won a mere five conference games in their first five seasons.

Colorado, which is 9-2 overall for the first time since 2001, has surged this season behind a veteran team and the steady play of Liufau. He became the second player in school history to throw for 300 yards and run for 100 when he had 345 passing yards and 108 rushing yards with three scores in the win over Washington State.

The Buffaloes have no obvious week links.

They can run the ball -- Phillip Lindsay has 1,051 rushing yards and a Pac-12 high 15 rushing touchdowns -- and they have the top-rated defense in the conference (322.4 yards per game allowed) and yields only 18.5 points per game, second in the league. Colorado has a plus-8 turnover margin on the season; linebacker Jimmie Gilbert has forced five fumbles.

Utah counters with a stout defensive line, led by Dimick and defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei, a first-round NFL Draft prospect. Marcus Williams is one of the nation's top free safeties. But the Utes still allowed Oregon to run for 251 yards, while being burned for 324 passing yards by Ducks freshman quarterback Justin Herbert.

Offensively, the Utes rely on Joe Williams and quarterback Troy Williams, who has thrown for 14 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He was solid last week in the loss to Oregon, going 20-of-30 for 235 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass. He also tallied 40 yards on 10 carries.

Utah has won the last four in the series but can only be a spoiler as Colorado looks to go 6-0 at home and win the Pac-12 South.

"Our young men are performing well under pressure," coach Mike MacIntyre said. "They don't get stressed out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tennessee Volunteers (8-3) at Vanderbilt Commodores (5-6)

Date: November 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

With the SEC East Division title now resting in Florida, No. 24 Tennessee looks to play to enhance its bowl credentials.

Vanderbilt is playing for automatic bowl eligibility, though the Commodores still may get into the postseason even with a loss.

And, of course, there is always the reward of beating an intrastate rival.

Such is the situation when the Volunteers (8-3, 4-3 SEC) and Commodores (5-6, 2-5) face off at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The SEC Network has the telecast.

Until last weekend, the Vols were hoping that LSU would pin a third conference loss on Florida to give them an opportunity to play in the SEC Championship. Tennessee held the tiebreaker over the Gators to get the berth if each team finished with 5-3 marks.

About halftime of the Vols' 63-37 rout of Missouri last weekend, however, Florida was holding on for a 16-10 victory over LSU to finish conference play with a 6-2 record to snuff out Tennessee's last opportunity.

That may have been a downer, but coach Butch Jones doesn't see that as an issue this week.

"In terms of putting the East behind us, I guess the greatest illustration I can give you is that our players came out and played one of their best second halves in the second half against Missouri," he said. "I'm not naive enough to tell you -- they knew what had happened. They knew exactly the situation. We never addressed it, but kids are kids.

"They know. I think that's what defines who we are as a football program and what defines our players. We went out and had one of the best second halves."

It's a bit early to see how things will eventually shake out in the bowl picture, but with a quarterback like Josh Dobbs and a receiver like Josh Malone, the Vols can be an attractive team. Dobbs has rushed for a team-best 660 yards and nine touchdowns and passed for 2,315 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 60 percent completion rate, while Malone is averaging 19.2 yards on 38 receptions.

That's if Tennessee can go into the postseason with nine wins and alone in second place in the division, not tied with Georgia and Kentucky at 4-4.

"There's a lot to be played for," Jones said. "This has the makings to be a great, great, very, very special season. You look at all the great things that we have accomplished and all the great things that are ahead of us -- and I think also it's a great illustration of persistence and resiliency of all the adversities that have gone through this season.

"I have never been through a season like this in 30 years of coaching in terms of the adversities, the injuries, the setbacks, the big wins, all that that goes into it."

Vanderbilt's Derek Mason could express similar sentiments.

"This group has earned the right as you look at what they've had to go through, the close ballgames that have been," he said.

The Commodores have done a remarkable turnaround after ranking 128th out of 128 FBS teams in total offense just a few weeks ago. After starting the season at 2-4, they have almost reversed that by winning three of their last five games.

Last week against Ole Miss, they amassed 481 yards in total offense, their season high against an FBS opponent, and the 38-17 win over the Rebels were the most points they have scored against a conference opponent since Mason took over in 2014.

In particular, Vanderbilt's receiving corps stood out with Trent Sherfield gaining 73 yards on two receptions and Darius Sims getting 53 on just two grabs. C.J. Duncan had four catches and Caleb Scott three.

"They made some great plays," Mason said. "They gave us chances to be successful. They've been maligned all year, so it's good to see them have a breakout game."

The win kept the Commodores' hopes alive for getting to six wins and not having to depend on their academic credentials to get them into a bowl if not enough six-win teams are available to fill the slots.

"Why settle for second when first is available," Mason said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Florida Gators (8-2) at Florida State Seminoles (8-3)

Date: November 26, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Something other than instate pride is on the line when No. 15 Florida State hosts No. 13 Florida.

Florida State seniors are trying to accomplish a feat that no other class in program history has been able to do: Finish their careers with an 8-0 sweep of rivals Florida and Miami.

They already won their four meetings with Miami to stretch the Seminoles' winning streak to seven over the Hurricanes, and go for the sweep against the Gators on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC).

"I think it means a lot to the seniors' legacy here, and the foundation that we set," Seminoles' senior cornerback Marquez White said of the possibility of going 8-0 against their two rivals. "This is my last time playing in this stadium. Last home game.

"This is the way I want to go out. This is the way I want to be remembered. So, it means a lot to have this opportunity."

All told, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher is 12-1 against Miami and Florida since taking over the program in 2010. He is the first Florida State coach to have wins over Florida and Miami in three consecutive years.

"It's important to us," Fisher said. "It's part of our goal. We always say that. The state of Florida is a dynamic football state. If you can play with Miami and Florida, you're usually in the national title hunt."

Of course, that isn't quite the case this season. Miami isn't ranked, and though Florida (8-2) has the opportunity to create a little chaos by beating Alabama in the SEC championship game Dec. 3, the Gators aren't in College Football Playoff consideration.

That situation could been more likely had their offense matched their defense this year, but that hasn't been the case. The Gators produced an average of just under 355 yards in total offense, in part because coach Jim McElwain has had to replace his starting quarterback twice this fall.

Luke Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State, started the season, but was hurt in the third game and gave way to Purdue transfer Austin Appleby. Del Rio returned after a three-game absence and started three games but went out injured again. Appleby started the last two games and will do so again at Florida State. He led the Gators to wins over South Carolina and LSU in their last two games.

The latter victory last week gave the Gators the SEC East title.

It was Florida's defense that sealed that win over the Tigers, however. The Gators stopped the Tigers on two plays from their own 1-yard in the closing seconds to preserve the 16-10 victory.

For the season, the Gators are fifth in the country in total defense in limiting opponents to just over 282 yards a game with just 160 of that coming through the air.

"This is a very impressive team when you turn the film on," Fisher said. "Defensively, they jump off the screen at you."

The game in Tallahassee features two game-breakers, one for each team.

Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway has 37 receptions for 545 yards and two touchdowns and has returned 23 punts for 175 yards, including a 39-yarder. He has had two games with 125-plus yard receiving.

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook has put himself at least on the fringe of the Heisman conversation with yet another outstanding season. The school's all-time leading rusher with 4,166 yards, Cook rushed for 1,467 yards this season with 17 touchdowns and a 6.1 per-carry average. He also boasts 400 yards receiving on 27 catches.

"This guy is the most explosive player in college football," McElwain said. "You look at his running and his catching the ball out of the backfield, he's going to play at the next level for a long time."

The Gators lead the series 34-24-1, but the Seminoles can match their longest winning streak against Florida with a victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCCAF Tech Trends - Week 13
By Bruce Marshall

Saturday, Nov. 26

SOUTH CAROLINA at CLEMSON...Gamecocks 6-1 vs. spread last seven meetings, though home team has also won and covered last three. Clemson only 2-5-1 last 8 vs. spread at Death Valley.

Muschamp, based on series trends.


EAST CAROLINA at TEMPLE...ECU on 1-7-1 spread skid last 9 TY, while Temple has covered 10 straight since opening loss vs. Army! Rhule 33-16 vs. spread with Owls since 2013. Temple has also won and covered with 10-point wins each of last two years vs. Pirates.

Temple, based on team and series trends.


TULANE at UCONN... If UConn chalk, note 0-15 mark last 15 as chalk since early 2012! Diaco 9-24-2 vs. line with Huskies since 2014. Tulane 3-2 vs. line away TY.

Tulane, especially if dog, based on UConn chalk woes.


RUTGERS at MARYLAND...Wild games won by road dogs past two seasons. Ash actually better vs. spread (4-7) than Durkin (3-8) thus far in 2016. But Terps 6-3 last nine as DD chalk.

Slight to Maryland, based on team trends.


SYRACUSE at PITTSBURGH...Panthers have covered an astounding seven straight in series, Cuse just 2-3 vs. line away TY.

Slight to Pitt, based on series trends.


WEST VIRGINIA at IOWA STATE...ISU has covered four straight as Ames underdog TY. Holgorsen 3-1 SU and vs. line against Cyclones since entering Big 12. Mounties only 3-8 vs. number last 11 away from Morgantown.

ISU, based on team trends.


ILLINOIS at NORTHWESTERN..Cats 5-2 vs. line last 7 TY, but Lovie actually 3-1 vs. line away TY, and Illini have covered last three in series.

Slight to NU, based on recent trends.


PURDUE at INDIANA...Old Oaken Bucket! Hoosiers have won last three and covered last two Buckets, though IU only 2-4 vs. line at home TY. Purdue has actually covered last three away from home TY, and a remarkable 13-3 vs. spread last 16 away from Ross-Ade.

Slight to Purdue, based on team trends.


MICHIGAN STATE at PENN STATE...Spartans have won and covered big the past two years and have covered three straight vs. Nittany Lions. But James Franklin on 6-0-1 spread run. Dantonio 3-0 as dog TY and 15-2 last 17 as dog since late 2011.

MSU, based on team and series trends.


BOSTON COLLEGE at WAKE FOREST...Deacs 2-3 as chalk TY but only 4-7 in role since 2013. Clawson 11-5 last 16 vs. spread.

Wake, based on team trends.


KANSAS at KANSAS STATE... Bill Snyder has rolled in this series, wins and covers seven straight since he returned in 2009, though he lost twice between 2004-06 vs. Jayhawks. Prior, he won 11 straight in series. KU 1-4 vs. line away TY, 3-7 last ten vs. spread.

Bill Snyder, based on series trends.


MINNESOTA at WISCONSIN...Paul Bunyan Axe! Gophers last won Axe in 2003! Though Minny has covered 5 of last 9 in Axe games. Gophers 9-4-1 vs. spread as visiting dog since 2013. Badgers on 11-2 spread uptick since late LY.

Slight to Wisconsin, based on team trends.


DUKE at MIAMI-FLA...Cutcliffe now 17-5 last 22 as dog. Richt 7-4 vs. line TY.

Slight to Duke, based on team trends.


GEORGIA TECH at GEORGIA...Tech 4-1-1 vs. line last six at Athens in a very road-oriented series, visitor 11-1-1 last 13 vs. line, 15-2-1 last 17!

GT, based on series road trends.


VIRGINIA at VIRGINIA TECH...Cavs no SU win in series since 2003, 4-8 vs. line in those games (covers in 3 of last 4, however). Cavs on 1-5 spread skid after covering 4 straight into midseason.

VPI, based on series trends.


AUBURN at ALABAMA...Iron Bowl! Nick 4-1 SU and vs. line last five vs. Auburn. Bama now 7-3-1 vs. line TY.

Alabama, based on team and series trends.


KENTUCKY at LOUISVILLE...Bluegrass battle! Cards have won SU last five in series, 4-1 vs. line in those. Cats, however, have covered 6 of last 7 TY, and Petrino only 2-5 last 7 vs. line TY.

UK, based on recent trends.


UCLA at CAL... Home team has now covered last six in this series. Cal no covers last 4 or 5 of last 6 TY.

Slight to Cal, based on series home trends.


NEVADA at UNLV...Fremont Cannon! Road team has won and covered last three in series. Wolf Pack has won last five trips to Sam Boyd Stadium, Nevada 9-2 SU last eleven Cannon battles.

Nevada, based on extended series trends.


SAN JOSE STATE at FRESNO STATE...Fresno has remarkably covered 5 of last 6 in disjointed season. SJSU 5-2 vs. line last seven TY, and 4-1 vs. line last five in series.

Slight to SJSU, based on series trends.


FIU at ODU...Monarchs have won and covered 7 of last 8 TY to get bowl-eligible! FIU 5-2 vs. line since Ron Cooper succeeded Ron Turner, but Golden Panthers were 0-7-1 vs. line in eight previous games.

ODU, based on team trends.


APP STATE at NEW MEXICO STATE...App 8-2 last ten vs. points as visitor, but NMSU has covered first four at Las Cruces TY.

Slight to NMS, based on team trends.


TROY at TEXAS STATE...Bobcats only 1-3 vs. line at home TY for Withers, 3-6 last nine vs. line at San Marcos. Troy only 1-4 vs. points last five TY after Ark State loss, but is 3-1 vs. line away.

Slight to Troy, based on team trends.


OREGON at OREGON STATE...Civil War! No OSU wins since 2007 vs. Ducks, but Beavs did cover LY, and 6-1 vs. number last seven TY. Ducks on 2-10-1 spread skid. Also 1-4-1 vs. spread away since late LY.

OSU, based on recent trends.


FAU at MTSU...Road team has covered last three in series. MTSU 1-3 vs. line last four TY.

Slight to FAU, based on team trends.


UTAH at COLORADO...MacIntyre 10-1 vs. line TY, 15-3 last 18 on board. CU has also covered all five vs. Utes since entering Pac-12 (though Buffs just 1-4 SU in those games). Whittingham 8-3 last 11 as dog.

CU, based on series trends.


WESTERN KENTUCKY at MARSHALL...WKU has won and covered last two years vs. Herd and is 3-1-1 last five vs. line TY.

WKU, based on team trends.


NAVY at SMU...Mids rolled 55-14 LY, now on 16-6-2 spread uptick. Mustangs improved 8-3 vs. line TY.

Navy, based on team trends.


NORTH TEXAS at UTEP... Sun Belt no fortress TY for Miners, now 1-4 vs. line last five as host. UNT 6-3-1 last nine on board.

UNT, based on team trends.


UCF at USF...UCF 7-2 vs. line last 9 TY. USF 14-5-1 last 20 reg.-season on board. Road team has covered last three meetings.

Slight to USF, based on series trends.


CHARLOTTE at UTSA... 49ers have covered 3 straight on road and 4 straight as a dog. Roadrunners 1-3 as chalk TY.

Slight to Tennessee, based on team trends.


FLORIDA at FLORIDA STATE...Road team has covered five straight in series. FSU yet to cover consecutive games TY, only 2-3 vs. line at Doak Campbell.

Florida, based on series road trends.


RICE at STANFORD...Tree rallying with four straight DD wins but no covers last 3 on Farm. Owls 3-1 last 4 as DD dog.

Slight to Stanford, based on team trends.


ARKANSAS STATE at UL-LAFAYETTE...Ark State flying with wins and covers last six. ULL just 4-7 vs. line last 11 at Cajun Field.

Ark State, based on recent trends.


TENNESSEE at VANDERBILT...Vols just 2-4-1 last seven vs. line TY and just 1-3 vs. spread last four vs. Dores. Also 0-2-1 vs. line as visitor TY. Derek Mason 6-1 last seven as home dog.

Vandy, based on team and series trends.


MISSISSIPPI STATE at OLE MISS... Egg Bowl! Rebs 3-1 SU and vs. line in Egg Bowl, and 22-11-1 vs. line as host since 2012.

Ole Miss, based on team trends.


MICHIGAN at OHIO STATE...Urban Meyer 4-0 SU and 2-2 vs. line against Michigan since taking over OSU in 2012. Harbaugh only 5-6 vs. line TY and 7-10 last 17.

Slight to OSU, based on series trends.


NOTRE DAME at USC... Irish have won 3 of 4 and 4 of last 6 vs. Trojans after losing eight in a row to Pete Carroll. But SC 7-0 SU, 6-1 vs. line last six TY. ND only 5-10 vs. line since late 2015.

SC, based on recent trends.


SOUTH ALABAMA at IDAHO...Hot Vandals have covered last five and six of last seven this season.

Idaho, based on recent trends.


WYOMING at NEW MEXICO... Lobos 5-1 SU last six TY, though Wyo 6-1 SU and vs. line last seven TY. Bob Davie has covered last three vs. Cowboys.

New Mexico, based on team and series trends.


COLORADO STATE at SAN DIEGO STATE...Aztecs 15-3 vs. spread last 18 MW reg.-season play, 5-2 last 7 as MW host. But CSU has covered six straight and 8-1-1 last nine vs. number TY.

Slight to CSU, based on recent trends.


UTAH STATE at BYU...Utags no covers last six TY, though road team has won and covered last three in series. USU 3-13 vs. spread last 16 on board. Sitake 8-3 vs. line for BYU TY.

Slight to BYU, based on Utag negatives.


UMASS at HAWAII.... Rolovich no covers last four or five of six, 1-3 vs. line at Aloha, and just 2-12 last 14 vs. points at home.

UMass, based on team trends.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Weekend’s best 13 games

Nebraska has injury ?’s at QB, check status on Armstrong. Home teams lost last four Nebraska-Iowa games; Cornhuskers won 37-34/13-7 in last two visits here. Underdogs covered four of last six series games. Huskers are 2-2 on road, losing at Wisconsin/Ohio St in last two; they’re 1-1 as home underdogs. Iowa lost three of last four home games, with win over Michigan, loss to I-AA North Dakota State; Hawkeyes are 1-2 as home favorites. Big 14 home favorites are 12-15 vs spread. Eight of last nine Nebraska games, three of last four Iowa games stayed under total.

Home side won last two Arkansas-Missouri games; Razorbacks lost 21-14 in last visit here in ’14. Favorites won three of last four series games. Arkansas allowed 139 points in three road games, losing 56-3 at Auburn, winning 41-38 in OT at TCU; they’re 0-4 vs spread in game following their last four wins. Missouri won/covered once in last seven games; they lost 63-37 at Tennessee last week. Tigers are 2-3 in I-A home games, 1-5 vs spread as an underdog this year- they allowed 287+ passing yards in five of last seven games. SEC home underdogs are 13-7 vs spread.

TCU crushed Texas 50-7/48-10 last two years; this is Longhorns’ last game and Strong’s last game as Texas HC- am guessing Longhorn players will try hard to send him out a winner. TCU is 5-5, still needs a win to be bowl eligible; they’re 3-1 on road, with loss 34-10 at West Virginia but also a shaky 24-23 win at lowly Kansas, which beat Texas LW. Horned Frogs won 43-10/20-13 in last two visits here. Texas is 2-5 this season games decided by 7 or less points. Big X home favorites are 10-11 vs spread. Under is 4-1 in last five TCU games, 5-0-1 in last six Texas tilts.

Air Force upset Boise State 28-14/37-30 last two years; underdogs covered last four series games. Broncos lost 28-14 in last visit here, two years ago. Falcons won last four games, are 8-3, winning last two 49-46/41-38; they’re 3-1 at home with an OT loss to Hawai’i. AF covered its only game as an underdog this year. Boise is 1-5 vs spread in its last six games but 3-1-1 as a road underdog this year, with only SU road loss 30-28 at Wyoming. Mountain West home underdogs are 12-6 vs spread. Over is 6-1 in last seven Air Force games, 3-0 in last three Boise games.

Washington is 4-0 on road, 2-2 as road favorites, scoring 50.5 pts/game in wins by 7-49-7-39 points; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five games, with home loss to USC in there. Huskies won six of last seven games with Washington State, winning last three (45-10/31-13 last two years); favorites covered five of last seven series games. Washington is 6-3 in last nine visits to Pullman, 6-2 vs spread in last eight. Wazzu had 8-game win streak snapped at Colorado LW; they’re 3-1 vs spread as an underdog this year. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread.* Over is 6-2 in last eight games for both teams.

Wisconsin won its last 12 games with Minnesota (4-5 vs spread in last nine), winning last six by 10+ points. Badgers have 233+ RY in six of last seven meetings. Gophers lost last nine trips to Madison, but covered three of last four. Gophers are 2-2 on road this year, losing by 3 at Penn State, 7 at Nebraska; they’re 1-1-1 as an underdog this year. Wisconsin won last five games, is 7-1 vs spread in last eight, winning 48-3/49-20 last two weeks- they’re 2-2 as home favorites this season. Big 14 home favorites are 12-15 vs spread. Under is 6-3 in last nine games for both sides.

Georgia is 13-2 in its last 15 games with Georgia Tech, winning six of last seven, covering four of last five. Tech split its last four visits between hedges; they’re 4-1-1 vs spread in last six visits here. Dawgs won last three games, are 2-2 at home, 0-2 as home favorites, with wins by 7-14 points- they lost at home to Tennessee/Vandy. Tech is 6-1 if it scores 30+ points, 1-3 if it doesn’t; they’re 2-3 as an underdog. SEC non-conference home favorites are 10-15 vs spread; Georgia held 9 of 11 opponents under 30. ACC road underdogs are 5-3. Under is 4-1 in last five Georgia games, 2-5 in Tech’s last seven.

Alabama covered five of last six games, winning last three by combined score of 92-6; Crimson Tide is 3-1-1 as home favorites, winning I-A home games by average score of 38-7. Bama won six of last eight Iron Bowls, covering four of last five; Tide won 55-44/29-13 in last two meetings. Tigers lost three of last four visits here, with losses by 11-49-36 points. Auburn’s losses this year are by 6-13-6 points; they’re 2-0 as an underdog- they’re 2-1 on road, with wins at Mississippi schools, the loss 13-7 at Georgia. SEC home favorites are 16-9 vs spread. Under is 3-1 in last four Alabama games, 3-0 in Auburn’s last three.

California lost its last four games, allowing 52.3 pts/game; Golden Bears are 2-5 vs spread as an underdog this year, 1-2 at home. UCLA lost four of last five games; they’re 2-4 as a favorite this year. Bruins are 1-4 on road this year, with only win by FG at BYU- they won their last three games with Cal, by 16-2-27 points. Bruins lost seven of last eight visits to Berkeley, are 1-9 vs spread in last 10 visits there. Last three years, UCLA gained 488-567-573 yards against the Golden Bears. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 8-3 in Cal games this year; four of last six UCLA games stayed under.

Oregon won its last three games with Oregon State, covering four of last six; they won last four visits to Corvallis, all by 17+ points. Ducks gained 565+ TY in last five series games, but Oregon isn’t as good this year, losing seven of nine games while allowing 35+ points eight times. Ducks are 1-4 on road, allowing 42.2 pts/game; they’re 1-3 vs spread as a favorite this year. Beavers lost five of last six games but covered six of last seven; they’re 2-3 at home, 2-0 vs spread in games with a single digit pointspread. Pac-12 home underdogs are 9-10 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight Oregon games, 3-2 in Beavers’ home games.

Colorado needs win here to clinch Pac-12 South and spot in title game next week; they’ve lost last four games with Utah, in series where underdogs covered last five meetings. Utah won last two visits here, 38-34/42-35. Buffs won last five games, four by 10+ points; they’re 4-1 vs spread as a favorite. Utah lost two of last three games but won their last three road games; Utes are 2-1 as an underdog this year; their losses are by 5-7-2 points. Pac-12 home favorites are 17-12 vs spread this year. Over is 6-3 in last nine Utah games, 2-5 in last seven Colorado games.

Tennessee is 1-2 on road with all three games decided by 7 or less points; Vols are 3-5 vs spread as a favorite this year. Tennessee is 16-3 in last 19 games with Vanderbilt, winning 53-28/24-17 last two years; underdogs are 6-3 vs spread in last nine series games. Vols won last seven visits here (3-3 vs spread in last six). Commodores need win to become bowl eligible; they’re 2-2 in I-A home games, losing to South Carolina by 3, Florida by 7. SEC home underdogs are 13-7 vs spread. Over is 6-2 in last eight Tennessee games, 2-5 in last seven Vandy games.

Ohio State won its last four games but struggled mightily in snow at Michigan State LW, winning 17-16. OSU is 11-1 in last 12 games with Michigan, winning last four; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven series games. Wolverines lost last seven visits here (2-5 vs spread). Buckeyes are 4-2 as a home favorite this year, with three of four Big 14 home wins by 21+ points. Michigan has been a double digit favorite in every game this season; they’re 0-1 as an underdog under Harbaugh. Wolverines are 2-1 on road this year, losing 14-13 at Iowa in last road game couple weeks ago. Four of last five Ohio State games stayed under total

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

At the Gate - Saturday
By Mike Dempsey

It’s never too early to find our Kentucky Derby pick and we have a couple of races today that could produce leading contenders for the Run for the Roses.

We have a pair of Road to the Kentucky Derby points races on tap this afternoon—the $300,000 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct and the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Classic Empire, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner is the current favorite for the Kentucky Derby, currently at odds of +700.

Currently the fifth choice in the early Derby betting at +1500 is Uncontested, who goes in the Kentucky Jockey Club along with McCracken, who is currently the co-fifth choice at +2000.

Takaful is the 7-5 morning line favorite for the Remsen and his current odds for the Derby stand at +2000.

There are four graded stakes on the card at Aqueduct including the $500,000 Cigar Mile (G1), which drew a solid field of 10 including Pennsylvania Derby (G2) winner Connect and Kelso Handicap (G2) winner Anchor Down.

The supporting features at the Big A are the $300,000 Demoiselle (G2) for two-year-old fillies and the $250,000 Comely (G3) for three-year-old fillies.

My Best Plays Report for Saturday includes my 10 strongest plays from Aqueduct and Churchill Downs including all the stakes action.


Here is the opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:

AQU Race 1 Alw $50,000s (11:50 ET)
#2 Sir Alfred 3-1
#4 Baby Bear's Soup 5-2
#3 Tashreeh 7-2
#1 Divine Inetrventio 5-1

Analysis: Sir Alfred tracked the early pace and made a mild late rally to finish third last out at this level in his first trip over the Big A main track. The winner Will Did It came back to Alw-1 foes in his next outing here on Nov. 16. The Pletcher trainee beat $50,000 non-winners of two at Keeneland two back. He owns a solid pace profile throughout and fits well in this spot.

Baby Bear's Soup took the field gate to wire to beat $40,000 non-winners of two at Philly last out by 13 1/4 lengths at 6-5. Jacobson claimed this guy for $25,000 and the gelding earned a career top last out. He faces a bit tougher here and may end up a short price than the 5-2 morning line.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX:2,4 / 2,3,4
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 8 The Remsen G2 (3:20 ET)
#9 No Dozing 4-1
#8 Mo Town 5-1
#4 Takaful 7-5
#3 Hookup 12-1

Analysis: No Dozing was fourth last out in the Breeders' Futurity (G1 at Keeneland. The colt was bumped and bothered coming out of the gate, chased the early pace while wide, came four wide into the stretch and finished evenly, beaten four lengths for the top spot. The winner Classic Empire came back to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) while fifth place finisher Gunnevera came back to win the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) in his next outing. The Delacour trainee figures to move forward off his last outing facing not as tough a group here.

Mo Town was a good looking maiden winner last out in the mud going a mile in his second career start, drawing away to win by seven lengths. The colt was a $200,000 Keeneland purchase and was solid in part after his last outing to the Coolmore group of Magnier, Tabor and Smith. The colt is by Uncle Mo and the first foal to race out of a Bernardini mare. He has worked smartly since his last outing and looks as if he still has a ton of upside.

Takaful went gate to wire to break his maiden in his debut at Belmont park going 6 1/2 furlongs and earned the top last out speed fig. He returns with lasix added for the McLaughlin barn and this guy is bred for more ground. he is by Bernardini out of a Distorted Humor mare, her first foal to race. The barn is 22% winners moving runners from sprint to route. The colt has a ton of potential but can't get to excited about his 7-5 morning line.

Wagering
WIN: #9 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 8,9 / 3,4,8,9
TRI: 8,9 / 3,4,8,9 / 3,4,7,8,9

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Churchill Downs:

CD Race 11 The Kentucky Jockey Club G2 (5:56 ET)
#1 Han Sense 10-1
#11 McCracken 7-2
#12 Uncontested 5-1
#3 Wild Shot 4-1

Analysis: Han Sense stumbled badly coming out of the gate, stalked the early pace and could not get to the gate to wire winner in a runner up finish in the Nashua (G2) at Aqueduct last out. The colt caught a racing strip that was kind to inside speed that day. He ran a decent second on the fake stuff two back at Woodbine in the Grey (G3) after a fifth on turf in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile in his first start against winners. He is bred to handle two turns, by Hansel out of the stakes winner Humble Retha ($102,955) who ash dropped three other winners including stakes winner Humble Janet ($189,050).

McCracken came with a seven-wide run and drew off late to win the Street Sense last out in a sharp looking effort in his first start against winners. This guy looks as if he will have no trouble handling two turns although he draws a tough spot and his price is going to be lighter than the 7-2 morning line. He is by Ghostzapper out of a stakes placed Seeking the Gold mare.

Uncontested was of awkwardly and sent up to set the early fractions and took the field gate to wire to break his maiden in his debut in fast time. The runner up and eighth place finishers came out of that race to graduate in their next starts. The Catalano barn is 17% winners moving runners from sprint to route. He has six sibs that are winners, top earner stakes winner Solitary Ranger ($231,932).

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 6-1 or better.
EX: 1,11 / 1,3,11,12
TRI: 1,11 / 1,3,11,12 / 1,3,6,11,12

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Aqueduct
R2: #5 Dynamax Prime 15-1
R3: #7 Mo d’Amour 10-1
R4: #7 Foreign Affair 10-1
R5: #4 Cut to Order 10-1
R6: #7 Majestic Bonnie 20-1
R8: #3 Hookup 12-1
R9: #6 Snag 8-1
R10: #10 Divining Rod 8-1

Good luck today!

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Northfield Park

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 15 - Post: 10:40 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 79 - Purse:$6800 - FILLIES & MARES NON WINNERS $4000 IN LAST 5 STARTS THAT ARE N/W $45,000 IN 2016. AE: N/W 5 PARI-MUTUEL RACES. NO. 9 STARTS FROM 2ND TIER NORTHFIELD HN 2 HILLARY`S STYLE - OFF LASIX TRAINER CHANGE HN 1 T.WILSON TO D.RUSSO
CONSORTIUM*CHOICES

# 6 PINKPOLOSOCKS 2/1
# 3 DRAG N SAND 5/2
# 5 COUPON LADY 15/1

If you want a nice play in this event, feast your eyes on PINKPOLOSOCKS. Can't overlook based on TrackMaster Speed Ratings which have been outstanding (81 avg) these days. A really good class horse cannot be forgotten. With an average class ranking of 81 all signs point to this one being the winner. Respectable driver/trainer, winning 19 percent of the time. Seems to be a super wager. DRAG N SAND - Horse fits well today and trainer's respectable return on investment for solid standardbreds who move down in class make this one a real very good wager. COUPON LADY - Could be considered in here if only for the really strong TrackMaster SR earned in the most recent race. A competitive play in here as she has one of the highest winning figures in the group of horses as well as super credentials all around.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Saratoga Harness

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 11 - Post: 10:05 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 83 - Purse:$6950 - COLTS & GELDINGS - NW $3,500 LAST 5 STARTS NON-WINNERS LAST 3 ALLOWED $400
CONSORTIUM*CHOICES

# 6 BRIGADOON 5/2
# 8 SOUTHWIND INDY 12/1
# 5 CHANTEPLEURE 8/1

BRIGADOON looks like our best wagering option in this contest. Recorded a 83 TrackMaster Speed Rating last out. A duplicate contest here should get the victory today. Many analyzers support this gelding on the driver/handler numbers alone. Dobson will be looking to dominate today, has been hot within the recent past. Win percent over the last 30 days is a sparkling 22. SOUTHWIND INDY - Should be in the hunt again today, looking to improve that already high lifetime winning stat. Many expert selectors know speed is is key. This horse has credentials with a 89 avg rating. CHANTEPLEURE - Devaux is racking up the wins recently. Exemplary win percentage makes this interesting entrant our selection.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse)

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 8 - Allowance - 300y on the Dirt. Purse: $11325 Class Rating: 92

QUARTER HORSE 300Y, FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON TWO RACES OTHER THAN MAIDEN OR CLAIMING. THREE YEAR OLDS, 122 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS.


RECOMMENDED*CHOICES


# 3 TEMPTING DIVA 3/1

# 2 MILLENNIUM FLY 6/1

# 1 BOYLIKE 2/1

TEMPTING DIVA looks respectable to best this field. Tough to pass on this filly with Ayala in the saddle. Looks very good against this field and ought to be one of the leaders. Had one of the best Equibase Speed Figures of this group in her last contest. MILLENNIUM FLY - Could best this field here, showing very good figures of late. Has to be considered versus this group of horses in this race displaying quite good numbers lately and an average Equibase Speed Figure of 86 under similar conditions. BOYLIKE - The average Equibase class figure of 79 makes this entrant difficult to beat. Mendez will almost certainly be able to get this gelding to break out quickly for this event.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Laurel

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 1 - Claiming - 8.0f on the Turf. Purse: $21000 Class Rating: 87

FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 122 LBS.; OLDER, 124 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES AT A MILE OR OVER SINCE SEPTEMBER 26 ALLOWED 2 LBS. SUCH A RACE SINCE THEN ALLOWED 4 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $11,000, FOR EACH $500 TO $10,000 2 LBS. (IF


RECOMMENDED*CHOICES


# 5 DANCE WITH GIO 15/1

# 4 UNSPOKEN 8/1

# 6 STORMINATEACUP 15/1

DANCE WITH GIO is the most respectable wager in this race especially at 15/1. Has been racing well and has among the best speed in the race for today's distance. Must be given a shot given the class of races run as of late. Has decent speed figures and has to be considered for a wager in this competition. UNSPOKEN - The Equibase Speed Figure of 76 from her last race looks competitive in here. Has very good Equibase Class Figures relative to this group of horses in this race - worth a look. STORMINATEACUP - Very good choice to take this race going in a turf route. Hernandez has strong numbers that point to this mare to be a very strong contender.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Mountaineer Park - Race #2 - Post: 7:22pm - Maiden Claiming - 5.5 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $7,000 Class Rating: 50

Rating:

#4 MIZZ FEEBIE (ML=3/1)


MIZZ FEEBIE - When this rider and conditioner join forces you have to take a look. Quinones and Ceccato have been terrific together. Ranked number one in earnings per start. Another indicator that this animal has class. This filly's last speed fig is good enough to prove victorious here, I'll wager on her right back this time around.

Vulnerable Contenders: #6 START DE PARTE (ML=4/1), #9 HARLEY'S PAL (ML=9/2), #1 CASS N CAM (ML=5/1),

START DE PARTE - Mountaineer Park isn't nice digs to this less than sharp equine. The speed rating last time around the track doesn't fit very well in this clash when I look at the class rating of today's contest. Mark this thoroughbred as a vulnerable contender. CASS N CAM - No picnic to wager on any horse in a sprint event at 5/1 when she hasn't shown any on the board results in sprints in the last couple of months.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Winston - MIZZ FEEBIE - This filly takes a big tumble in the class rating department from a rating of 71 down to 50. Strong contender.*
*


STRAIGHT WAGERS:

#4 MIZZ FEEBIE is going to be the play if we are getting 1/1 or better

EXACTA WAGERS:

4 with [3,6]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:

Skip

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:

None