Saturday 9/12/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Prop bets might be the way to wager in Mayweather-Berto bout
By ANDREW AVERY

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will fight Andre "The Beast" Berto on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas. Perhaps not the fight that many wanted in the wake of Mayweather's win over Manny Pacquiao back in May.

But here we are.

Obviously, checks will be a fraction of what we saw in the aforementioned "Fight of the Century", which saw Mayweather pocket around $220 million for his 36 minutes in the ring. Furthermore, reports seem to indicate that this broadcast is headed for CBS as opposed to PPV.

Berto heads into the fight with a record of 30-3 (23 by KO) with all three of those losses in his last six bouts (vs. Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero and Jesús Soto Karass) and is tabbed as a big +1600 dog.

"Berto is over matched which also leads me to believe Floyd may surpass Rocky Marciano's record of 49-0 after disposing of the former Olympian Berto and signing on for just one more bout in 2016," says renowned oddsmaker Joey Oddessa. "There is a difference in opposition and the payday and odds will indicate it."

So with Mayweather such a big fave (-4000), where is the value for boxing bettors?

"Floyd simply to win the bout should be in the Tyson-Douglas range come fight night - a lotto ticket if Berto should win," Oddessa said. "I'm not looking to smarten up oddsmakers but the individual props could exceed the handle on the straight wagers if enough are offered correctly. It's the safest route for Floyd backers to go because not many have the gamble in them to lay 35k to scoop up a mere one thousand dollars while the props are still remaining appealing for Berto backers.

Oddessa mentions the opportunity for Mayweather to "go out on a high note" and finish Berto.

"Karass stopped Berto. Why not Floyd?" Oddessa says. "I don't see much here in terms of competitiveness. This bout is all about Floyd Mayweather and legacy. Walking away at 49-0 on a free boxing clinic given to every broadcast system that carries CBS."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Books asking too much money for Mayweather, better value in round props
By MMAODDSBREAKER

Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts the finishing touches (maybe?) on his Hall of Fame career this weekend, facing former WBC World Champion Andre Berto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayweather (48-0) has been criticized for the choice of Berto (30-3) as an opponent, and the books have installed him as a massive favorite, priced at -2000 currently, with the comeback on Berto at +1250.

With a line like that, can you really think to betting the outright winner market? After all, a -2,000 price tag means you must put $2,000 on the line to win back $100. And even the most confident Mayweather fans must be thinking why even bother?

However, despite the lack of value in this bout, it’s worth looking at the alternative bets for Saturday’s fight. Normally, props pop up at the books for a fight pretty close to the day of the contest, but with a fight of this magnitude, the books have a slew of betting odds up already. That’s enough time for a shrewd betttor to find some value on the table.

The round total for this bout is set at 11.5, with the Over paying -220 and the Under coming back at +180. There’s a reason why wagering on the fight to go the distance is still asking such a high price. Mayweather will use speed and prowess to elude Berto, who will swing and miss, for 12 rounds en route to a unanimous decision.

Mayweather’s last six fights have gone to the cards and the streak of fights going the distance extends itself back to December of 2007 - if you exclude Mayweather’s 2011 cheap shot KO of Victor Ortiz. He has not stopped anybody since punishing Ricky Hatton.

The big fear is that Mayweather may change his stripes and try to go out with a KO, but the fact is that’s just not his style and he won’t risk a freak KO loss by sticking his neck out there. With Berto coming in aggressive, this fight could resemble the Maidana fights, which despite the props given to the Argentine, were both decision victories by Mayweather.

Since moving up to welterweight more than eight years ago, Mayweather hasn’t shown any power to speak of, so it’s safe to say it’s going to go the distance. As of this writing, Mayweather to win by decision is paying (-193).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 12
By David Schwab

The Labor Day Weekend marked the official start of the push towards this year’s CFL Grey Cup Playoffs and British Columbia got the ball rolling last Thursday with an unexpected 25-16 upset of Montreal as a five-point road underdog.

In the first game of three home-and-home series on the CFL’s Week 11 schedule, Saskatchewan finally snapped this season’s nine-game straight-up losing streak with a 37-19 victory against Winnipeg as a 4 ½-point home favorite on Sunday. To open Monday’s action, Hamilton jumped all over Toronto 42-12 as an 8 ½-point home favorite and Calgary grinded-out a 16-7 victory against Edmonton as a four-point home favorite to close things out.

Saturday, Sept. 12

Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-9 SU, 3-7 ATS) vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-7 SU, 3-6-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Saskatchewan -1
Total: 51 ½

Game Overview

The Roughriders drew first blood in this two-game series behind a solid performance by quarterback Brett Smith, who is filling in as a third-string replacement. He completed 19-of-25 passes for 211 yards and a score. He also added 59 yards on the ground on seven carries. This was the first time all season that Saskatchewan’s defense held a team to fewer than 27 points.

Winnipeg turned to Brian Brohm as its starting quarterback in Sunday’s loss for the injured Drew Willy. He actually looked sharp throwing the ball by completing 21-of 26 attempts for 184 yards, but the Bombers could not make their way into the end zone through the air. He did manage to score a touchdown on the ground as part of his 22 yards rushing.

Betting Trends

The Blue Bombers have lost four of the five meetings SU on their home field and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five meetings overall.

Calgary Stampeders (8-2 SU, 3-7 ATS) vs. Edmonton Eskimos (6-4 SU, 6-4 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -2
Total: 47

Game Overview

The Stampeders’ win on Monday opened-up a two-game lead in the West Division with a chance to widen the gap even more this week. Not only do the defending champions now have the best SU record in the CFL through the first 10 games, Calgary is 3-1 ATS in its last four games after failing to cover in each of their first six contests this year.

Edmonton is still in solid shape for a spot in the CFL Playoffs, but this week is basically a must-win situation to stay in the West Division race. The Eskimos continue to boast the stoutest defense in the CFL with an average of just 18.1 points allowed, but there has to be some concern on offense after averaging just 20 points over their last four outings.

Betting Trends

Calgary has now covered ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in five of the last seven games. Edmonton has lost its last five home games against the Stampeders both SU and ATS.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer: EPL Best Bets - Week 5
By Chris David

Week 4 Recap

Prior to the early International break, bettors saw a crazy run of upsets and two of them returned some serious cash.

Crystal Palace’s 2-1 upset as a 9/1 underdog (Bet $100 to win $900) against Chelsea was a shocker and West Ham United’s 3-0 shutout win at Liverpool certainly turned heads at a price of plus-850.

Other notable underdog victories includes Swansea City (+230) over Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion (+340) blanking Stoke City.

Including those outcomes, underdogs posted a 5-2 record with three draws in Week 4 while the visitors went 4-3.

The ‘under’ started strong on Saturday with a 5-2-1 run but two ‘over’ tickets cashed Sunday.

Through four weeks of EPL action, favorites are 14-12 with 14 draws. The ‘under’ has been practically a stalemate, going 20-19-1.

Chasing City

“Man City clearly look the best team at the moment. The question for me is how long this early-season burst can last. If this form continues into, say, November, that alone should be enough for them to win the league. City will definitely go through a bad spell at some point, and I'm not sure they've got the mental strength that Chelsea had last season to grind out results when not playing at their best. Chelsea played quite badly in most of their games from about February onwards but never seriously looked like not winning the league, thanks to their form in the first few months of the season,” said VegasInsider.com contributor Toby Maxtone-Smith.

Oddsmakers have Manchester City listed as a 1/2 favorite (Bet $100 to win $50) after opening the season as a 5/2 betting choice. Chelsea was the preseason favorite at 3/2 but after its lethargic start, the club has dropped to 5/1 odds.

Can the Blues right the ship?

Maxtone-Smith answered, “There are questions at Chelsea over whether John Terry might finally have seen his best days, but the big problem is centre back Branislav Ivanovic. He's been a great player, but this season he's been one of the worst performers in the league. He's been so bad that Chelsea's opponents are largely basing their tactics around targeting him: defend deep, and stick a quick winger on the left to give Ivanovic the runaround. There's also the problem that Cesc Fabregas has been awful this year, both going forward and defensively. This has left Nemanja Matic exposed in the midfield, giving less protection to the defence.”

Top 4

For those keeping tabs, we haven’t all seen all four of the top teams post wins in the same week thus far. Not surprisingly, all are favored this weekend.

Chelsea at Everton (NBCSN, 7:45 a.m. ET)

It’s hard to make an argument to back Chelsea (-105) at this point but perhaps you feel the break will help the club turn the corner. The Blues haven’t caught any breaks this season and the defense hasn’t played up to their standards. John Terry returns to the back line and most Chelsea fans wish they had Everton’s John Stones, who was denied a transfer to the Blues again.

The Blues only win of the season did come on the road albeit against West Brom and Everton has only managed to earn one point in two games played at home.

The Toffees have posted two clean sheets on the road but have allowed four goals in a pair of home games. After scoring five goals in the first two weeks, the Toffees have gone scoreless in their last three games.

Chelsea won five of the last six meetings against Everton, which included a wild 6-3 victory at Goodison Park last season. The pair were knotted 1-1 just after an hour before both teams erupted for seven goals.

Arsenal vs. Stoke City (NBCSN, 10:00 a.m. ET)

Arsene Wenger and Arsenal (-375) have been installed as the largest favorites in Week 5 against Stoke City (+1100), who currently are tied for last place with two points and they haven’t played any of the Top 4 clubs this season.

Stoke City has showed a better effort on the road, posting a pair of draws while scoring three goals. Arsenal hasn’t hit the net at the Emirates this season and is 0-1-1 in two games, the loss coming in Week 1 to West Ham.

The home team has won the past five encounters in this series and last year they played to a 3-0 outcome at the Emirates and a 3-2 shootout from Britannia Stadium.

Manchester City at Crystal Palace (USA, 10:00 a.m. ET)

The “City Express” heads to Crystal Palace (+500) this weekend and based on the early money, some bettors believe the top club will be tempered on Saturday. Manchester (-175) has started the season with four clean sheets and all of the victories have been by two or more goals.

Based on points, Palace will be City’s toughest test to date. Alan Pardew’s team has won three of four to start the season, losing only to Arsenal (2-1). They knocked off Chelsea 2-1 on the road before the break and the momentum could be lost for this spot.

Last season, Crystal Palace snapped a six-game losing streak to City with a 2-1 win at home. Nobody has been able to break through against Manchester this season while the defense of Palace is fortunate to only allow five goals.

The total is sitting at 3 goals and Palace is a perfect 4-0 to the ‘over’ this season.

Manchester United vs. Liverpool (NBCSN, 12:30 p.m. ET)

Even though Manchester has been listed as the favorite (-115) in this matchup against Liverpool (+325), bettors could be hesitant to back either team. It’s kind of remarkable how these teams have mirrored one another through the first four games of the season. They both opened with a pair of 1-0 victories before earning scoreless draws in Week 3 and then they both were ran off the pitch in Week 4.

Liverpool’s 3-0 loss at Anfield to West Ham United definitely opened some eyes and certainly put manager Brendan Rodgers on the hot seat – again. The Reds won’t have Philippe Coutinho for this match after he was sent off against West Ham. He’s been the main offensive catalyst for the team who has managed just two goals thus far.

After getting swept by Liverpool in the 2013-14 campaign, United returned the favor last season with a 2-1 road victory and 3-0 win from Old Trafford.

Manchester could have goalkeeper David de Gea back in action this Saturday after possible talks of a new deal with the club was announced this week.

Fearless Predictions

Coincidentally my bankroll (-1,280) has paralleled Chelsea’s production this season and that’s not a good thing. We’ve got 34 weeks to right the ship and hopefully it happens sooner than later.

Straight – Manchester United (-115) over Liverpool – 2 Units

Straight – Under 2 (+110) Southampton-West Bromwich Albion – 2 Units

Parlay – Chelsea (-105) with Over 3 (+105) Manchester City-Crystal Palace – 1 Unit

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Premier League betting preview: Manchester United and Liverpool renew rivalry
By SOCCER AUTHORITY

The next round of Premier League fixtures is almost upon us. Soccer Authority breaks down what you need to know.

Everton (+320) v Chelsea (+100)

This match produced one the games of the year last season with a 6-3 scoreline. If it's only half as entertaining as last season, we'll be in for a treat.

Chelsea have had a poor start to the PL season with only four points picked up from four games with an average of 2.25 Goals conceded per game.

Everton have had mixed fortunes and find themselves in ninth position with five points. They will be in for a tough game this weekend considering their poor home form. The Toffee's have failed to win their last four home games in the PL with only two goals scored.


Arsenal (-300) v Stoke (+1100)

Arsenal have won their last 11 games against Stoke when played in the Emirates stadium with only five goals conceded. You'd be hard pressed to favor Stoke in this one and that's reflected in the bookies' odds here.

Stoke are also winless in their last seven road games in the Premier League.


Manchester United (-105) v Liverpool (+375)

This match-up is one of the fiercest rivalries in soccer and you can bet that every player will be giving their all as they try to secure victory.

Man United have won 11 of the last 13 games against Liverpool when played in Old Trafford with an average of two goals scored per game by the Red Devils.

Liverpool are struggling this season just as they did last season. Liverpool are currently sitting in seventh position but that's not a fair reflection of their season so far. They've only beaten relegation candidates Stoke and Bournemouth so far (both narrow 1-0 victories).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big Ten Report - Week 2
By ASA

OREGON AT MICHIGAN STATE – OPENING LINE MICHIGAN STATE (-3.5) – These two faced off last year in Eugene and Oregon (-13) pulled away in the 2nd half for a 46-27 win. The game was much closer than that however as MSU actually held a 27-18 lead in the 3rd quarter. After the Spartans took at 27-18 lead early in the 3rd, the Ducks went onto outscore MSU 28-0 and outyard MSU 284 to 132. The overall yardage was fairly close (MSU 466 & OU 491) but Sparty turned the ball over twice (no turnovers for Oregon). The Ducks 2015 debut last week was very impressive on offense (61 points & 731 total yards) but discouraging on defense (42 points allowed & 549 yards allowed). New Eastern Washington QB’s West & Hennessy torched the OU secondary for 438 passing yards on 8 yards per attempt. Last year’s EWU QB Vernon Adams switched jerseys and is the starting QB for Oregon this season. He had a solid performance before he took a cheap shot late in the game from one of his “teammates” from last year and had to exit. Looks like he’ll be fine for this Saturday’s game. MSU took care of a solid Western Michigan team on the road winning 37-24. Sparty’s defense was OK but not great in this one. WMU put up just short of 400 yards on 5 YPP. It was MSU’s first game without long time defensive coordinator Narduzzi who is now the head man at Pitt. Looks like both defenses might have problems slowing down their opponents which is why the total came out at 67. This is a game MSU has had this game circled for a full year. They are 13-1 the last two years at home with their only loss coming to Ohio State here a year ago. Oregon has not been an underdog since the 2011 season (46 straight games as a favorite). The Ducks were 26-13 ATS as an underdog from late in the 1999 season through 2011.

WASHINGTON STATE AT RUTGERS – OPENING LINE RUTGERS (-2) – Lots of distractions taking place right now at Rutgers with an academic scandal and the dismissal of 5 arrested players. Those distractions didn’t come into play last week as the Knights played a severely overmatched Norfolk State team who was just 4-8 last season. It was a close game at half with Rutgers leading 21-13. In the 2nd half, the Knights regained the services of QB Chris Laviano & WR Leonte Carroo who were both suspended in the 1st half. They went onto outscore Norfolk St 42-0 in the 2nd half for a final of 63-13. Washington St comes in shaken. They were upset at home by Portland State as a 30 point favorite! How unlikely was that? Since 1980 there have been 1,235 teams favored by 30 points or more and only 14 of those teams have lost outright. WSU outgained Portland St 411 to 294 but their high powered offense was hindered as the game was played in a driving rain storm. Starting QB Luke Falk took a big hit late in the game and has been limited this week in practice. We’re told he’ll be ready and will start on Saturday. These two met last year and Rutgers (+8) pulled the road upset winning 41-38. Look for the Knights to try and control tempo again this year by running A LOT! They held an 7:00 minute time of possession edge in last year’s game rushing 43 times for 215 yards.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT INDIANA – OPENING LINE INDIANA (-7.5) - The Hoosiers escaped with a win over FCS opponent Southern Illinois 48-47. After scoring the go ahead TD with just 1:20 remaining, IU allowed the Salukis to go 75 yards in 5 plays scoring with 18 seconds left. Rather than kick the XP and move to overtime, SIU decided to go for the win and their 2-point attempt failed. The Hoosiers looked very good on offense rolling up 595 total yards. The problem is, as it has been for years, the Indiana defense. They gave up a whopping 659 yards on an embarrassing 8.5 yards per play. To put that in perspective, that’s more yardage than SIU (who had a 5-6 record last year) put up on any of their FCS opponents. It was 100 yards more than SIU gained on last year’s opening opponent, Taylor University. The Hoosiers were missing key players at each level of their defense with starting DT Latham and starting LB Scales suspended. Starting safety Dutra was also out with an injury. In all IU had 9 players suspended for game 1. Eight of those players will be back this week with the exception of Scales who is serving a 2 game suspension. This is another dangerous game for IU. Florida International upset their in-state rival UCF 15-14 last Thursday. The Panthers, unlike Indiana, look to have a stout defense holding UCF to just 295 total yards on 64 plays (4.6 YPP). FIU has also had a few extra days to prepare for this one playing on opening Thursday last week. Perhaps a letdown for FIU after their big win?

MIAMI (OH) AT WISCONSIN – OPENING LINE WISCONSIN (-34) – Badgers are a bit beat up coming off their physical game with Alabama. Alabama was able to wear down Wisconsin in the trenches in the 2nd half en route to a 35-17 win. Speaking of trenches, this looks to be one of Wisconsin’s weaker offensive lines in years. They started 3 players up front who have never made a collegiate start. They’ve also had a number of injuries on the O Line so they are very thin at that spot. Starting RB Clement tweaked his groin during the week and was not nearly 100% on Saturday. Starting WR McEvoy pulled a hamstring in practice and also was not at 100%. Lastly, the QB of their defense and leading returning tackler, safety Mike Caputo exited after only a few plays last week due to a concussion. He will be evaluated later this week. QB Stave looked solid as we thought he might as new head coach Paul Chryst is very good with QB’s. The Badgers were held to just 40 yards rushing and 15 of those came from a WR on an end around. This from a team that has averaged 264 YPG rushing of the last 5 years. It was their lowest rushing total for a game since the 2012 season. They should be fine this week against a Miami OH team that allowed 200 YPG on the ground last year and 155 yards rushing on over 4 YPC to Presbyterian last Saturday (a 26-7 Miami Oh win, a 13-7 game entering the 4th quarter).

OREGON STATE AT MICHIGAN – OPENING LINE MICHIGAN (-14) – Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan debut ended in a disappointing 24-17 loss AT Utah. The Wolverines actually outgained the Utes 355 to 337 and 4.9 YPP to 4.8 YPP. The two glaring problems for Michigan in that game were interceptions (3) by new QB Jake Rudock (former Iowa QB) including one returned for a TD. Rudock threw only 5 picks all last season as the starter for the Hawkeyes so we guess his game vs Utah may have been an aberration. The second was their running game. Harbaugh really wants to emphasize the rushing attack and beat teams up on the ground. Michigan tallied only 76 yards rushing on only 2.6 YPR. Defensively the Wolves will again be among the best in the nation. After allowing just 311 YPG last year (6th nationally) new DC DJ Durkin had them looking very good last Thursday. Former Wisconsin head man Gary Andersen brings Oregon St into Ann Arbor Saturday. He’s transitioning the Beavs to a spread offense from their pro style sets under former coach Mike Riley. OSU won their opener vs Weber State 26-7 in a game that was 6-0 at half. True freshman QB Seth Collins will be making his first career start after impressing in the 2nd half last week. They’ll rely heavily on the run (only 110 yards passing last week vs Weber) which could be a problem against a stout and big Michigan front. The game also starts at Noon ET so Oregon State’s “body clocks” will be set at 9 AM Pacific.

IOWA AT IOWA STATE – OPENING LINE IOWA (-3.5) – Both teams impressed in their openers last weekend. Iowa faced an Illinois State team that made it to the FCS National Championship game last year. The Hawkeyes dominated jumping out to a 31-0 lead before a few late TD’s made it look more respectable at 31-14. Iowa was +8 first downs, +200 yards, and +5:00 time of possession. Iowa State also whipped a very reputable FCS opponent downing Northern Iowa 31-7. UNI is a team that beat this Iowa State squad 2 years ago and then nearly topped Iowa last season. For comparison’s sake, Northern Iowa played host to Illinois State last year and beat the Redbirds 42-28. In their game on Saturday AT ISU, despite the lopsided final score, the numbers were fairly even. The Cyclones had a minimal 310 to 302 total yardage edge along with just one more first down. Iowa State led just 10-7 at half but it could have been much worse as the Cyclones missed 2 field goals and QB Richardson overthrew what would have been 2 TD passes. Iowa State pulled the upset last year winning in Iowa City 20-17 as a 13-point dog. Neither team did much offensively as ISU tallied 337 yards and Iowa had only 275. That’s a common theme in this rivalry that has averaged only 39 total points per game the last 17. Only 3 of those 17 games have topped 48 total points. Iowa State has dominated the spread numbers going 13-4 ATS in this series.

MINNESOTA AT COLORADO STATE – OPENING LINE MINNESOTA (-5.5) – The Gophs defense was very impressive in their home opener vs #2 TCU. We were told the coaching staff is really excited about that side of the ball and feel they have their best defensive backfield in years. That looked like the case last Thursday despite the 23-17 loss to the Horned Frogs. While TCU did put up 449 yards, it also took them 84 plays to do so (just 5.2 YPP). This from a TCU team that average 6.6 YPP a year ago. TCU has now faced Minnesota twice in their last 14 games and the Gophers have held them to an average of 26.5 PPG in those two games. TCU has averaged 48 PPG in their other 12 games during that 14 game stretch. Minny QB Leidner looked decent throwing for 197 yards. They’ll need some consistency from him in the passing game if they want to beat the better teams on the schedule. Hard to gather much from new head coach Mike Bobo’s CSU debut. The Rams crushed Savannah State 65-13, although State might be the worst team in the entire FCS. They were 0-12 last year losing 10 of those games by 2 TD’s or more. CSU was 6-0 at home last year and you’d think they’d have a very good long term record at home but that’s not the case (just 31-26 at home the last 10 years). The Gophs have been a road favorite just 6 times over the last 5 years so not something they are used to.

BUFFALO AT PENN STATE – OPENING LINE PENN STATE (-18.5) – Well the talk of PSU’s offense, which averaged only 20 PPG last year, being better may have been a bit premature. Granted, they were playing a Temple team that looks to have a very good defense, but that was ugly. PSU QB Hackenberg looked flustered the entire game and why wouldn’t he. He was under constant pressure and the Owls sacked him a whopping 10 times. The offensive line which was horrendous last year for the Nits, looked just as bad in game 1. Temple held Penn State to only 180 total yards on 52 plays. Hackenberg completed only 11 passes and averaged only 4 yards per pass attempt. After their first 2 drives which resulted in 10 points, the Nittany Lions totaled 33 yards on their final 12 drives! Buffalo has a new coach in Lance Leipold who led Wisconsin-Whitewater to SIX National Titles and has a ridiculous career record of 110-6. Buffalo rolled in their first game beating Albany 51-14. They are experienced on offense with a solid QB in senior Joe Licata, who has started 29 consecutive games for the Bulls. Not sure this is a spot for PSU to be laying a huge number into a well-coached team that can score points. We’ll see.

BOWLING GREEN AT MARYLAND – OPENING LINE MARYLAND (-9) – Bowling Green has a very tough back to back situation here after playing AT Tennessee last weekend. The Falcons lost that game by 29 points (59-30 final) but that score was quite deceiving in our opinion. BG racked up 557 yards on 85 plays (6.5 YPP) compared to Tennessee’s 604 yards on 87 plays (6.9 YPP). Obviously you wouldn’t normally see a 29 point differential in those numbers. Maryland played host to Richmond in what looked like a near empty stadium at kickoff. The Spiders gave them a game until half trailing just 22-14 before Maryland exploded for a 50-21 win. Terp punt returner William Likely set a Big Ten record with 233 return yards including one for a TD. Maryland rushed for 341 yards on 45 carries while new QB Perry Hills only completed 12 passes for 138 yards. They also looked very solid defensively allowing only 276 total yards to the Spiders. We’ll really find out about their defense this weekend as BG will push the pace in an attempt to run 80+ plays. The Falcons offense looked great against what was supposed to be a solid SEC defense in Tennessee. We expect them to put up big numbers again this week against a Maryland team that we projected near the bottom of the Big Ten defensively. We’ll find out a lot about Maryland this weekend.

HAWAII AT OHIO STATE – OPENING LINE OHIO STATE (-40) - With all of the build up to Monday’s game AT Virginia Tech, the Bucks are bound to have a bit of a letdown this weekend at home vs Hawaii. The question is, is this Hawaii team good enough to take advantage of that and keep the game within 5 or so TD’s? Scheduling wise, this situation does favor Hawaii who played last Thursday as compared to Monday for Ohio State. However, you also have to factor in the 4,500 mile trip the Rainbows must make which probably negates the scheduling advantage. The Bows are off an upset home won over Buffalo late last Thursday night. They were a 7.5 point home dog and won the game 28-20. The Rainbows had only 302 total yards in the game – averaging just 4.1 YPP. New QB, Max Wittek, a transfer from USC threw for 202 in his debut & the Bows benefitted from 3 Colorado turnovers. If they could only put up barely 4 YPP on a Colorado team that finished 0-9 in the Pac 12 last year, what will they do against Ohio State’s defense? The last time Hawaii lost by 40+ points was at BYU in 2012 (47-0 final). Meanwhile, the Bucks put up 42 points and over 10 YPP on a defense that is expected to be very good this year. Not only did they average more than 10 yards per play, they up nearly 10 YPC on the ground rushing for 360 yards on 37 carries. Not only that, the Bucks get back a number of key players (Joey Bosa, Jalin Marshall, etc…) who were suspended for last weekend’s game. OSU can name this score. The question is, do they want to win by more than 40 or do they call the dogs off late and coast keeping this close to the number?

SOUTH ALABAMA AT NEBRASKA – OPENING LINE NEBRASKA (-25.5) – We all know how the Nebraska game ended last week with a BYU hail mary. Now the key question is how do the Huskers respond this week? Do they come out angry and ready to roast someone or do they come out flat after feeling sorry for themselves and how they lost their home opener? The Husker defense looks to be a potential problem again this year. After getting torched at the end of the season last year, the trend continued as BYU rolled up 511 total yards. Dating back to last year, in their last 5 games the Nebraska has allowed an average of 40 PPG and 488 YPG. The Huskers obviously need to get that addressed and quickly. If the NU defense can’t get “better” this week, they might be in big trouble. South Alabama was a pedestrian offense last year getting held to 12 points or less 5 times! This team returned only 5 starters this year which is the fewest in all of college football. The Jags struggled to beat Gardner Webb last week by a final score of 33-23, a game they trailed early in the 3rd quarter. South Alabama had 408 total yards, however 148 of those came on two long TD plays of 92 & 56 yards. The Jags played 2 Power 5 teams last year losing AT Mississippi State 35-3 and at South Carolina 37-12. Nebraska plays at Miami, FL next week so a tough sandwich spot coming off a last second loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pac-12 Report - Week 2
By Joe Williams

2014 PAC-12 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Arizona 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0
Arizona State 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
California 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Colorado 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
Oregon 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0
Oregon State 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Southern California 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
Stanford 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
UCLA 1-0 0-0 0-0-1 0-1
Utah 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
Washington 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-1
Washington State 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1

Utah State at Utah (Friday - ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET)
It's time for the Beehive State battle, and the money is on Utah at a nearly two-to-one clip. Utah opened with a 24-17 win against Michigan, and that score was made to look closer with a late Wolverines score. Utah induced several turnovers, including a pick-six in the victory. Utah State looked like they were sleepwalking in last weekend's 12-9 win against FCS Southern Utah. Utah State will also be without WR Hunter Sharp, who reeled in 66 receptions in 2014. Utah lost TE Evan Moeai to a season-ending leg ailment in the opener. Utah is favored by 12 in the rivalry game, and if the two sides play like they did last weekend it could be a Utah blowout. The Utes have won 13 of the past 14 in the series, including a 30-26 win Aug. 29, 2013 in the last meeting.

Oregon State at Michigan (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)
So far the Jim Harbaugh era doesn't look much different from the Brady Hoke era. The Wolverines started off last week with a 24-17 loss at Utah. QB Jake Rudock was given the nod, and he tossed a pair of touchdowns. However, he also had three interceptions, including one for a TD going the other way. Oregon State looked sluggish in a 26-7 win against Weber State in Corvallis, so they might be the perfect opponent for Michigan in their home opener. Still, Michigan is favored by nearly 17, and the bettors appear to be heading over to the Beavs. Michigan is 1-8 in its past nine against Pac-12 foes, including last week, but they're also 112-18-3 all-time in openers at the Big House.

Washington State at Rutgers (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET)
Rutgers manhandled Norfolk State last weekend, piling up 63 points in the win against the FCS opponent. Washington State didn't fare as well in their game against FCS Portland State, losing a 24-17 stunner on the Palouse. QB Luke Falk left the game in the fourth quarter due to a shoulder injury, but he is expected to play in this one. Rutgers had to overcome suspensions to QB Chris Laviano and WR Leonte Carroo last weekend. The two sat for the first half, but made up for lost time in the second half with a three scoring connections in the rout. Rutgers is favored by just three here, and it appears to be too good to be true. These sides met in Pullman last season, and the Scarlet Knights came away with a scintillating 41-38 win.

San Diego State at California (Pac-12 Network, 5:00 p.m.)
The Aztecs head to NorCal for an intrastate battle with the Bears. San Diego State punished crosstown foe San Diego of the FCS by a 37-3 count last weekend, while Cal made quick work of an overmatched Grambling, winning 73-14. If the Aztecs are to be successful this season they need to get workhorse RB Donnel Pumphrey on track. He piled up 1,867 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, a record for a school which once had Marshall Faulk. However, Pumphrey was bottled up for just 65 yards on 20 totes last weekend. Cal aired it out with QB Jared goff going for 309 yards, with WR Kenny Lawler posting three touchdowns in the rout. SDSU has dropped 27 straight road games against Pac-12 teams since 1975, so an upset appears unlikely. The latest line has Cal favored by nearly two touchdowns.

Arizona at Nevada (CBS Sports Network, 7:00 p.m. ET)
Arizona had its hands full, again, with Texas-San Antonio last weekend. They managed to fend off the Roadrunners 42-32, but it was costly since they lost LB Scooby Wright to a knee injury. Nevada catches a break with the tackle machine sidelined indefinitely. Nevada wasn't particularly sharp in a 31-17 win over UC Davis. The Pack is 4-5 all-time in nine home games against ranked teams. In addition to the injured Wright, Arizona will be without starting WR Samajie Grant and starting S Tellas Jones, as well as a backup DT, due to a violation of team rules. 'Zona is favored by 11 1/2 points.

Oregon at Michigan State (ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET)
The marquee matchup of the weekend pits playoff hopefuls Oregon and Michigan State in East Lansing. The Ducks treated the visiting Spartans unkindly in a 46-27 battle in Eugene last season. Sparty hopes to return the favor this time around, and they will have the luxury of not having to solve QB Marcus Mariota, who now plays on Sundays. QB Vernon Adams Jr. was sharp, throwing for 340 yards in a 61-42 win against Eastern Washington, but the defense certainly looked vulnerable. MSU QB Connor Cook tossed for 343 yards in Eugene last season, and has far more experience. The Spartans are 1-5 ATS in their past six against Pac-12 clubs, but 7-2 ATS in their past nine at home and 4-0 ATS in their past four against a team with a winning record. In addition, the 'over' is 7-3 in the past 10 non-conference games for Oregon, and a perfect 7-0 in Michigan State's past seven outside the Big Ten.

UCLA at UNLV (CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET)
UCLA freshman QB Josh Rosen lived up to the hype with a surgical performance against Virginia. He completed 28 of his 35 pass attempts for 351 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-17 win, and the most important part is that he did not commit any turnovers. UNLV was surprisingly sharp in a 38-30 loss on the road against Northern Illinois, so the Bruins cannot overlook the Runnin' Rebels. QB Blake Decker was efficient, throwing for 319 yards and a pair of scores, finding WR Devonte Boyd for a 64-yard touchdown. The Bruins will continue to be without starting CB Ish Adams, who was suspended after an arrest for felony robbery in August. UCLA is 1-3-1 ATS in its past five non-conference tilts, and 17-37-1 ATS in the past 55 against teams with a losing record. UNLV is 1-5 ATS in the past six at home, and 0-3-1 ATS in the past four against Pac-12 foes.

UCF at Stanford (FOX Sports 1, 10:30 p.m. ET)
UCF heads to Palo Alto looking to kick a Stanford team while its down. The Cardinal were completely flat in a shocking 16-6 loss at Northwestern. It wasn't so much that Stanford lost, but how they lost. Still, Stanford is 10-1 following a loss under head coach David Shaw. The Cardinal could do some things offensively against a Golden Knights defense which was pounded for 260 passing yards against lowly Florida International, losing 15-14. Stanford also needs to make its way through the rest of the season without DT Harrison Phillips, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The good news is WR Devon Cajuste is believed to be back at 100 percent after dealing with an ankle injury in the opener. Stanford has won 13 straight non-confernece home games. Stanford is 12-3-1 ATS in the past 16 against a team with a losing record, and 7-1 ATS in the past eight following a straight-up loss.

Other ACC teams in action
Sacramento State at Washington (Pac-12 Network, 2:00 p.m.)
Massachusetts at Colorado (Pac-12 Network, 2:00 p.m.)
Idaho at Southern California (Pac-12 Network, 8:00 p.m.)
Cal Poly at Arizona State (Pac-12 Network, 11:00 p.m.)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ACC Report - Week 2
By Joe Williams

2015 ACC STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Boston College 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Clemson 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Duke 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
Florida State 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Georgia Tech 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Louisville 0-1 0-0 1-0 0-0-1
Miami (Fla.) 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
North Carolina 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
North Carolina State 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Pittsburgh 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0
Syracuse 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0
Virginia 0-1 0-0 0-0-1 0-1
Virginia Tech 0-1 0-0 0-1 1-0
Wake Forest 1-0 0-0 1-0 1-0


Miami-Fla. at Florida Atlantic (Friday - FS1, 8:00 p.m. ET)
The Hurricanes head up Interstate 95 to the Glades Road exit in Boca Raton for the most important home game in FAU's brief football history. The program, started in 2001 by former UM head coach Howard Schnellenberger, has only had an on-campus stadium for a few years. Friday night's game is sold out, although there will be plenty of orange green in the stands to negate much of a home-field advantage. The Hurricanes opened with a 45-0 win over FCS Bethune-Cookman despite a lightning delay and two 10-minute quarters in the second half. FAU held a 41-38 lead in the waning moments of regulation at Tulsa, but were taken to overtime and then beaten, 47-44. The offense for Miami will be missing starting WRs Stacy Coley and Braxton Berrios, so more running is likely. UM is 2-7 ATS in its past nine against Conference USA opponents, while FAU is 11-1 ATS in its past 12 games in September (including last week) and 4-0 ATS in their past four home games against a team with a winning record. FAU is also 25-10 ATS in their past 35 games overall.

South Florida at Florida State (ESPN, 11:30 a.m. ET)
South Florida manhandled Florida A&M in last week's opener, a 51-3 win. Florida State managed to run out to a 59-16 win over Texas State, giving FSU a rare cover. Last season they were a dismal 3-11 ATS. If FSU is to cover another big number in Saturday's game they will need to stop the two-headed rushing monster of dual-threat QB Quinton Flowers and RB Marlon Mack. If the Bulls are able to run, they could keep it close in the first half to make FSU bettors sweat. QB Everett Golson looked sharp in his debut, tossing four touchdowns. RB Dalvin Cook will also be a handful for USF. The Bulls are 1-4 ATS in the past five against ACC foes, and 8-21-1 ATS in their past 30 non-conference tilts. FSU is 1-6 ATS in its past seven outside the ACC and 1-4 ATS in the past five at home.

Houston at Louisville (ESPN3, 12:00p.m. ET)
Louisville looks to get on track after a 31-24 setback against Auburn last weekend. QB Lamar Jackson looks sharp in the second half against the Tigers, and he starts over QB Reggie Bonnafon. Houston roughed up Tennessee Tech 52-24, but this will obviously be a much bigger test. These teams are no strangers, and Louisville has won each of the past three. If the Cardinals are to cover the near two-touchdown spread in their home opener, they'll need to keep forcing turnovers. The Cards had three picks in the opener against Auburn, and posted 26 interceptions in 2014, tied for the most in the FBS. The over is 4-1-2 in Louisville's past seven, including their opener, while the over is 5-1 in Houston's past six.

Wake Forest at Syracuse (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m. ET)
Wake and Syracuse are already into conference play, as the Demon Deacons head north for the Carrier Dome. The Orange might be a bit subdued after losing QB Terrel Hunt to a torn Achilles' last week in their win against URI. 'Cuse now turns to true freshman Eric Dungey to handle the duties. Wake pounded an FCS opponent, too, sending Elon back down Interstate 40/85 with a 41-3 shellacking. QB John Wolford set a career-high with 323 yards, and looks poised to help the Deacs to a much better showing than last year's 3-9 mark. Syracuse won 30-7 in Winston-Salem last season, and knocked Wolford out of the game in the second quarter. A dish of revenge might be served up in upstate N.Y. this weekend.

Appalachian State at Clemson (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m.)
Appalachian State was thorough in its 49-0 blowout against FCS Howard in the mountains last weekend, while Clemson smacked around Wofford 49-10. It was a costly win, though, as they lost star WR Mike Williams. He is sidelined with a small fracture in his neck after an ugly collision with the goal post. WR Artavis Scott stepped up, giving QB Deshaun Watson another solid target, and that connection is likely to continue Saturday. WR Ray-Ray McCloud is also a player the Tigers expect big things from to fill the void. App State is 3-0-1 ATS in its past four dating back to last season, while Clemson is 8-3 ATS in its past 11 in Death Valley. The 'under' could be the play, as it is 4-1 in ASU's past five road games against a team with a winning home record, and 6-0 in Clemson's past six against a winning opponent. The under is also 8-2 in Clemson's past 10 overall, and 6-1 in Death Valley.

Tulane at Georgia Tech (ESPN3, 3:30 p.m.)
Tulane meets an ACC opponent for the second time in two games. They were roughed up at home by Duke, 37-7, and things aren't likely to get better against a Georgia Tech team were steamrolled Alcorn State 69-6 last weekend. Tulane was trampled for 206 yards on the ground, and rushing is Ga. Tech's speciality. The Ramblin' Wreck has rushed for at least 200 yards in 15 straight games, and that streak isn't likely to end Saturday. Georgia Tech has also gotten off to fast starts, posting a touchdown on the opening possession in seven of their past eight contests. The spread hovers around 30 points, but that could be easily attainable if both teams repeat their performances from a week ago.

Notre Dame at Virginia (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Notre Dame excited its fan base with a sound 38-3 thumping of Texas at home, awakening the echoes. Fans were quick to take to Twitter and Facebook, declaring the Irish back with all sorts of quips via meme. Virginia stumbled on the road at UCLA, and it wasn't as close as the 34-16 score indicates. It was close enough for some, though, as a late UVA touchdown led to a backdoor cover. These teams meet for the first time since 1989, and this isn't expected to be close. The Irish were an 11-point favorite as of Friday afternoon, and money has been slowly trickling in on the road faves. The total has also been driven down from 49 1/2 to 47 1/2. Notre Dame is still 2-5 ATS in its past seven dating back to last season, but one of those covers was last week. UVA is 6-1-1 ATS in its past eight overall, and 7-2-1 ATS in the past 10 against a team with a winning record. However, at home the Cavs are just 1-4-1 ATS in their past six visits from a team with a winning mark.

Pittsburgh at Akron (ESPN3, 6:00 p.m.)
Pitt zips over Interstate 76 to InfoCision Stadium in Akron for a battle against the Zips. The Panthers look to move to 2-0, but they'll have to do it Saturday, and the rest of the season, without 2014 ACC Player of the Year RB James Conner, who had knee surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament suffered in the opening win against Youngstown State. Freshman Qadree Allison stepped up with 207 yards, while Chris James might also be back. Akron was embarrassed 41-3 at Oklahoma last week, but likely get a boost from knowing they won 21-10 at Pittsburgh a season ago. In a road game and without Conner, it might be tough for the Panthers to cover a two-touchdown spread, although there is still ample talent on the Pittsburgh roster.

Other ACC teams in action

Howard at Boston College (ESPN3, 1:00 p.m.)
Furman at Virginia Tech (ESPN3, 3:30 p.m.)
North Carolina Central at Duke (ESPN3, 6:00 p.m.)
North Carolina A&T at North Carolina (ESPN3, 6:00 p.m.)
Eastern Kentucky at North Carolina State (ESPN3, 6:00 p.m.)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Big 12 Report - Week 2
By Joe Williams

2015 BIG 12 STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Baylor 1-0 0-0 0-1 1-0
Iowa State 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1
Kansas 0-1 0-0 0-1 1-0
Kansas State 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Oklahoma 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1
Oklahoma State 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Texas 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
Texas Christian 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
Texas Tech 1-0 0-0 0-0-1 1-0
West Virginia 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-1


Kansas State at Texas-San Antonio (FOX Sports 1, 12:00 p.m. ET)
K-State heads to the Alamo down their starting quarterback, as QB Jesse Ertz is out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury last week against South Dakota. Now, the Wildcats will turn to former walk-on QB Joe Hubener to drop the Roadrunners. UTSA gave Arizona all it could handle for the second straight season, falling 42-32. The Roadrunner committed three costly turnovers which was their undoing. They actually outgained Arizona in their home stadium, an impressive feat. K-State enters as a 17-point favorite despite the loss of their starting signal caller.

Texas-El Paso at Texas Tech (FOX, 3:00 p.m. ET)
UTEP was knocked around at Arkansas last weekend, falling 48-13. Meanwhile, Texas Tech had a tough test against FCS power Sam Houston State, eventually pulling away 59-45 for an easy 'over' and a push against the number. The Bearkats are generally a playoff team and national championship contender, so while the 45 points is eye-popping it shouldn't be terribly surprising or worrisome. The Red Raiders enter favored by 21 points, and with all five starters on the offensive line back to protect QB Patrick Mahomes III, they should put up another strong offensive total.

Iowa at Iowa State (FOX, 4:45 p.m. ET)
Iowa and Iowa State get together for the latest installment of their rivalry. And it is a rivalry which has really picked up lately since both teams have been fairly evenly matched. This season is no different, as the Hawkeyes enter as a slight favorite. Iowa humbled a solid FCS opponent in Illinois State, winning 31-14. Meanwhile, Iowa State tripped up Northern Iowa 31-7, vowing not to lose to an FCS opponent in their opener for a second straight season. The road team has won each of the past three meetings in this series. While the road team is also 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings, the underdog is 8-3 ATS in the past 11 and Iowa is just 4-13 ATS in the past 17 meetings.

Oklahoma at Tennessee (ESPN, 6:00 p.m.)
Both Oklahoma and Tennessee each plowed through Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponents in Week 1. Oklahoma easily dispatched Akron 41-3, while Tennessee had a much more difficult time in a 59-30 win against Bowling Green. One concern for the Sooners is that they averaged just three yards per rush in their win against the Zips, and that is huge heading into Knoxville where they'll need a much more balanced and complete effort. Tennessee endured a lightning delay and a game effort from Bowling Green before pulling away from the Falcons late. OU is 2-5 ATS in their past seven against SEC foes, while the Vols are 4-9 ATS in their past 13 against teams with a winning record.

Memphis at Kansas (ESPN3, 7:00 p.m.)
Memphis heads to Lawrence with a little swagger after hammering on Missouri State by a 63-7 count, while Kansas did not have the same results against their FCS opponent. The Jayhawks fell behind 31-7 to South Dakota State before storming back. However, they still fell 41-38. Memphis is a two-touchdown favorite, but it's a curious line considering the fact they have dropped 19 straight games against teams from Power 5 Conferences. If they're to cover the spread, they'll have to obviousy end their drought with authority.

Rice at Texas (Longhorn Network, 8:00 p.m.)
Rice mopped up on Wagner last weekend by a 56-16 count, while Texas was embarrassed 38-3 at Notre Dame. The Longhorns managed to complete just seven of his 22 pass attempts for 93 yards. He and QB Jerrod Heard will each try to establish themselves against the Owls in this Southwest Conference throwback game. Texas has won 12 straight against Rice, winning by an average of 29.3 points. Based on that history, the Longhorns being favored by 15 1/2 looks like a lock. However, it's hard to back Texas after they looked so anemic last weekend in South Bend.

Other Big 12 teams in action
Liberty at West Virginia (3:00 p.m.)
Stephen F. Austin at Texas Christian (FOX Sports 1, 3:30 p.m.)
Central Arkansas at Oklahoma State (FSN, 7:30 p.m.)
Lamar at Baylor (FSN, 7:30 p.m.)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Oklahoma at Tennessee**

-- As of early Thursday afternoon, most betting shops had Oklahoma (1-0 straight up, 1-0 against the spread) installed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 63.

-- Tennessee covered the number in last week's 59-30 win over Bowling Green as a 21.5-point home favorite. Joshua Dobbs threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and he also rushed for 89 yards and one score. Dobbs's 18-yard TD scamper early in the fourth quarter put the Volunteers ahead of the number (56-30) for the first time. Alvin Kamara, the juco transfer who began his career at Alabama, exploded in his Neyland Stadium debut. Kamara rushed 15 times for 144 yards and two TDs, while Jalen Hurd ran for 123 yards and three TDs on 23 carries.

-- Tennessee's personnel issues took another hit Wednesday when the school announced that junior DT Danny O'Brien would not play Saturday due to a suspension for a violation of team rules. O'Brien had 23 tackles and one sack in 12 starts last year. O'Brien joins senior starting safety LaDarrell McNeil (76 tackles, two interceptions in 2014), starting OG Marcus Jackson (done for the season) and WR Jason Croom among those that'll be missing vs. OU. Croom, who had 21 receptions for 305 yards and four TDs last season, remains out with a knee injury. On the bright side for the Vols, Pig Howard will return to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension. Howard had team-highs in catches (54) and receiving yards (618) last season. He also rushed 15 times for 96 yards and a pair of TDs.

-- Tennessee is now 13-13 under Butch Jones. Therefore, this game offers a chance for UT to turn the corner literally in terms of becoming a winner on Jones's watch. Most important, however, is for the Vols to win their first big game in nearly a decade. Remember, this program hasn't won more than seven games in a season since 2007.

-- Oklahoma captured a 41-3 win over Akron as a 31-point home favorite in its season opener last weekend in Norman. Baker Mayfield, the transfer QB from Texas Tech, enjoyed a sensational debut for the Sooners. Mayfield connected on 23-of-33 throws for 388 yards and three TDs without an interception. Joe Mixon had three receptions for 115 yards and one TD, while RB Samaje Perine rushed for only 33 yards and one TD on 11 carries. The OU defense limited the Zips to merely 10 first downs and 226 yards of total offense.

-- After its worst season in more than a decade, Bob Stoops figured he needed to make changes this past offseason. That's what an 8-5 record and humiliating losses will force on a program. The Sooners dealt with those in 2014, getting run out of Memorial Stadium by Baylor in a 48-14 clubbing. Then at the Russell Athletic Bowl, Clemson trashed OU by a 40-6 count.

-- I thought Stoops made the third-best assistant hire of the offseason when he was able to lure East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley away from the Pirates. Riley was the OC at ECU for five years, running his 'Air-Raid' attack with great success as QB Shane Carden and WR Justin Hardy obliterated the school record books. Riley's hire was third behind Auburn DC Will Muschamp and Texas A&M DC John Chavis (in that order).

-- It was clear in the opener that OU is going to attack more with the passing game. When the Sooners do go to the ground game, however, they'll have one of the nation's top backs despite his pedestrian numbers from last week. As a true freshman in 2014, Perine earned third-team All-American honors by rushing for 1,713 yards. Perine started only eight games, yet averaged 6.5 yards per carry and ran for 21 TDs.

-- When these storied programs collided in Norman last year, OU won a 34-10 decision and took the money as a 20.5-point home 'chalk.' Hurd ran for 97 yards on 14 carries in the losing effort. With UT trailing 27-10 and in the red zone early in the fourth quarter, Julian Wilson intercepted a Justin Worley throw and turned into a 100-yard pick-six to put the game on ice.

-- Tennessee has been a home underdog four times under Jones, producing a 3-1 spread record and one outright victory. The Vols beat then 11th-ranked South Carolina 23-21 on a last-second field goal that prevented the Gamecocks from winning the SEC East during an 11-win campaign.

-- Since 2008, Oklahoma owns a 16-13 spread record in 29 games as a road favorite.

-- ESPN will have the broadcast at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

**Kentucky at South Carolina**

-- As of Thursday afternoon, most books had South Carolina (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) listed as an eight-point home favorite for its SEC opener vs. Kentucky. The total was 56 at most spots. UK is +270 on the money line (risk $100 to win $270).

-- Kentucky (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) raced out to a 21-0 lead and led 33-10 late in the third quarter of its season opener vs. UL-Lafayette last Saturday in Lexington. But the Ragin' Cajuns wouldn't go away, scoring 23 unanswered points, including a pair of two-point conversions, to pull even midway through the final stanza. UK needed a 12-yard TD run from Mikel Horton with 57 ticks remaining to pull out a 40-33 victory as a 17-point home favorite.

-- Kentucky QB Patrick Towles completed 16-of-34 passes for 257 yards and three TDs with one interception. Stanley 'Boom' Williams rushed for 135 yards and one TD on 10 carries, taking his first tote the distance of 75 yards on the game's first play from scrimmage. Garrett Johnson, a true sophomore WR, had a team-best five receptions for 85 yards and one TD.

-- South Carolina was fortunate to win its opener by a 17-13 count over North Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite in Charlotte. Junior LB Skai Moore had a pair of interceptions in the end zone, including one late in the fourth quarter on fourth and goal to help lift his team into the win column. Shon Carson gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the game when he scampered off right tackle untouched for a 48-yard TD run with 12:35 left in the fourth quarter.

-- South Carolina third-year sophomore QB Connor Mitch was up and down in the first start of his career. He demonstrated speed and elusiveness with several nice scramble and he finished the night with 44 rushing yards on 10 carries. Mitch has a strong arm but clearly needs to improve his decision making, which should come with more reps. He was victimized by a few drops, completing only 9-of-22 passes for 122 yards and one TD without an interception. Pharoh Cooper had three catches for 45 yards and one TD, while also rushing four times for 20 yards. Senior RB Brandon Wilds ran 51 yards on 14 totes and also had four receptions for 44 yards.

-- As a home favorite during Steve Spurrier's 11-year tenure, South Carolina owns a 27-24 spread record. However, we should note that the Gamecocks limped to a 1-5 ATS mark in six such spots last season.

-- Kentucky has compiled a 4-5 spread record in nine games as a road underdog on Mark Stoops's watch.

-- Since Spurrier arrived in Columbia, South Carolina has won eight of 10 head-to-head meetings against UK. The Gamecocks are 6-4 ATS in those contests, 3-2 ATS in the five games played at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Wildcats picked up both of their wins at home in 2010 and 2014. Trailing 38-24 with less than nine minutes left in last year's game, UK would score 21 unanswered points to pull out a 45-38 triumph as a four-point puppy. Towles threw for 208 yards and one TD without an interception, while the UK defense intercepted Dylan Thompson three times.

-- The 'over' has hit in eight straight meetings between these SEC East rivals.

-- The 'under' has cashed in five straight South Carolina contests dating back to last year. Meanwhile, UK has seen the 'over' hit in four consecutive outings.

-- Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on The SEC Network.

**LSU at Mississippi State**

-- This is a big revenge game for LSU after getting embarrassed by Mississippi State at Tiger Stadium in a night game last year. The Bulldogs raced out to a 34-10 lead and held off a late LSU charge to secure a 34-29 win as nine-point road underdogs. It was the first time Mississippi State had beaten the Tigers since 1999!

-- Dak Prescott, a Louisiana native who stuck by his verbal commit to Mississippi State when LSU came calling late in the recruiting process, enjoyed his coming-out party in Baton Rouge. Prescott threw for 268 yards and a pair of TD without being intercepted. Also, he ran 22 times for 105 yards and one more score. Josh Robinson rushed for 197 yards and one TD on just 16 totes.

-- As of Thursday afternoon, most spots had LSU favored by 4.5 points with an 'over/under' of 50. Bettors can back the Bulldogs to win outright for a +175 payout (risk $100 to win $175).

-- LSU saw its season opener vs. McNeese State washed away by Mother Nature last weekend. The offense only had one series and was forced to punt after five plays. On the one hand, you can say that LSU isn't bruised or injured and should be fresh this week. On the flip side, the needed reps, especially for QB Brandon Harris, were needed. Now the team must open the year on the road and, lest we forget, Harris's first career start last season at Auburn was a nightmare, ending in a 41-7 loss.

-- Dan Mullen's team spent a month atop the national rankings last year after defeating three consecutive then-Top-10 foes in LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn. Mississippi State won its first nine games before losing 25-20 at Alabama as a 9.5-point road underdog. The Bulldogs saw their hopes of making the College Football Playoff dashed in their regular-season finale, as Ole Miss beat them 31-17 at the Egg Bowl in Oxford. Then at the Orange Bowl, MSU was throttled 49-34 by Ga. Tech as a six-point 'chalk.'

-- Mullen lost talent galore from that team. In fact, MSU returned just four starters on offense and three on defense. In addition, DC Geoff Collins bolted Starkville to take the same position at Florida on Jim McElwain's staff. Therefore, Mullen brought back Manny Diaz, who was DC at MSU before taking the same job at Texas earlier in Mullen's tenure. After getting pink slipped by Mack Brown in Austin after a stunning loss to BYU, Diaz spent last year on Skip Holtz's staff as DC at La. Tech.

-- Mississippi State failed to cover the spread and got all it wanted from Southern Miss in Hattiesburg last weekend. The Bulldogs trailed two different times in the first half and might have found themselves down at intermission if not for a pair of huge special-teams plays. First, after the Golden Eagles took a 3-0 advantage, Brandon Holloway returned the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for a TD. Then with So. Miss leading 10-3 early in the second quarter, MSU got a blocked punt that set it up with great field position. Prescott would take advantage a few plays later with a five-yard scoring strike to Justin Johnson.

-- Mississippi State would eventually collect a 34-16 win over So. Miss, but it never seriously threatened to cover the number as a 21-point road favorite. Prescott finished with 237 passing yards and two TDs without an interception. The senior signal caller also rushed for 72 yards and one score on eight totes.

-- The MSU defense gave up 413 yards of total offense to the Golden Eagles, who threw for more than 300 yards.

-- The 'over' is 9-2 in the last 11 head-to-head meetings between these SEC West adversaries.

-- Kickoff on ESPN is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. Eastern. The cow bells will be blowing up in Starkville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College Cram Session: Revenge is best served cold... and with a pointspread
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but as it pertains to sports bettors around the globe, it’s not quite as cut and dry as the famous cliché insists.

Talk to 50 people who wager on sports for a living and you’re likely to hear from 25 guys who believe that revenge plays an integral role in their weekly handicapping while the other 25 feel that revenge is nothing more than a distraction capable of preventing one from viewing a particular matchup for what it truly is.

I side with the former because of the human element that helps to comprise the world of sports. If football consisted of 11 robots challenging 11 other robots, sure, then revenge would mean nothing. But different people are motivated by different factors and when a head coach has 11 months to reiterate the embarrassment suffered at the hands of a specific opponent prior to a rematch, I believe his players will respond accordingly by taking their respective games to another level in an effort to right a wrong.

This certainly doesn’t mean that revenge is a primary factor in handicapping or that the revenge angle leads to extremely profitable results over the long term. It’s simply an ancillary tool that I employ when breaking down a rematch between two teams.

Saturday night’s marquee college football showdown features the aforementioned revenge angle, as the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans play host to the No. 7 Oregon Ducks in a rematch of last year’s showdown in Eugene that saw the Ducks erase a 27-18 third-quarter deficit before going on to win 46-27 on September 6. The Ducks were 14-point favorites for that game, but 2015 is a vastly different story, as Michigan State opened as a pick ‘em before being steamed all the way up to the price of -3.5.

Several factors ranging from location to roster changes are playing a role in the dramatic line adjustment from last September to this year, but here are two key elements to keep in mind:

First, Oregon transfer quarterback Vernon Adams was knocked out of last Saturday’s contest against Eastern Washington with what appeared to be a concussion, but was later reported by the team to not be a concussion. We’ll let you decide:


Yeah, that’s a concussion. But Oregon convinced the world otherwise and now Adams is expected to play in the biggest game of his life, which just so happens to take place in an extremely hostile environment.

Second, and more importantly, not only is Sparty 14-6 ATS over its last 20 games as a favorite, but Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio is 5-1 SU and 5-0-1 ATS over his last six revenge games.

That’s a very small sample size, but it’s still something I plan to keep in mind heading into Saturday night’s marquee showdown.

SHARP VS. PUBLIC: BEHIND THE COUNTER

Each and every week, this column will converse with a Las Vegas insider in an effort to provide you, our loyal and dedicated readers, with all the inside information possible to make more educated and informed wagers. This week, we speak with Jay Rood, who serves as vice president of race and sports for MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas.

*Point spreads current as of Thursday evening.

Sharp sides: Notre Dame (-12, at Virginia) and Oklahoma (-1.5 at Tennessee).

Interesting to see so much love for the Fighting Irish, as Notre Dame is just 2-8 ATS over its last 10 games when winning by 20 or more points the week before, while Virginia is 9-4-2 ATS over its last 15 games overall. The same can be said about Oklahoma, who is 0-4 ATS over its last four games against teams with a winning record while Tennessee is 5-1 ATS over its last six home contests. More likely than not, these positions reflect opinions based somewhat on last week’s results.

Public sides: Louisville (-13.5, vs. Houston) and Michigan State (-3.5, vs. Oregon)

Be careful with Louisville, as the Cougars are 19-7-1 ATS over their last 27 road games while the Cardinals are 0-5 ATS over their last five home games. As for Michigan State, the Spartans are at home in a revenge spot against a banged-up quarterback in Vernon Adams, and Oregon hasn’t exactly inspired a lot of confidence in recent years when hitting the road against non-conference opposition.

Sharp totals: Georgia-Vanderbilt UNDER (50.5) and Kentucky-South Carolina UNDER (56)

Big line moves for both of these showdowns as Georgia-Vanderbilt has been bet down from a total of 56 to 50.5 while Kentucky-South Carolina has moved from 58.5 to 56. The Under is 7-3 in Vanderbilt’s last 10 conference games, but take note that the Over is a staggering 8-0 in the last eight meetings between Kentucky and South Carolina.

Public totals: Per Rood, the MGM will have a better understanding of which positions the public is taking as it pertains to college football totals once Saturday morning hits.

Biggest MGM line movements since opening: Notre Dame at Virginia, which has moved from the Fighting Irish -10 to -12.5.

Game experiencing the most action: Oregon Ducks at Michigan State Spartans

BONER OF THE WEEK AWARD

For all the millions of dollars they make and praise they receive for having such “innovative minds,” some coaches just don’t get it.

Take former Oregon State boss Mike Riley as an example, who earns our “Boner of the Week” award for botching his debut as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Leading BYU 28-27 in Lincoln with just one second remaining on the clock and the Cougars on the Cornhuskers’ 42-yard line, Riley decided it would be prudent to rush just three passers while dropping eight men into coverage to defend the Hail Mary.

The result, as you no doubt already know, was disastrous for Nebraska, as Cougars quarterback Tanner Mangum had 90 minutes to let his receivers reach the end zone, set his feet and deliver a strike to Mitch Mathews for a touchdown and 33-28 victory.

News flash, Riley: Rush five men and make the opposing quarterback’s life a living hell rather than provide him with a leather couch to relax upon before deciding to chuck up a last second pass.

Too many coaches make this mistake on a weekly basis and it’s embarrassing because no-names like me know it’s the wrong move. Rushing five could result in a sack, but more importantly, it will likely force the opposing quarterback to attempt an inaccurate and ill-timed pass off his back foot that may not even reach the end zone.

The key here will be to see if Riley learns from his mistake. If so, terrific.

If not, well then he’ll get what he deserves.


MIND-BLOWING TREND OF THE WEEK

The Army Black Knights are 0-20 SU and 1-19 against the spread over their last 20 games played away from West Point.

We’ll see if America’s Finest can buck that trend against Connecticut, who opened as a 6.5-point favorite before being bet up to as high as -7.5 as of Thursday evening. The favorite in this series is 4-1 ATS over the last five meetings between these two schools.

BIGGEST LINE MOVES OF THE WEEK

Mississippi Rebels (from -20.5 to -30) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs: Monstrous mismatch here and the early bettors realized it. Fresno State is just 3-8 ATS over its last 11 non-conference games and 1-4 ATS over its last five matchups against SEC opposition.

Florida Gators (from -13 to -21) vs. East Carolina Pirates: New Gators head coach Jim McElwain got off to a rousing start last weekend with a 61-13 blowout win over New Mexico State and the early action supports another rout this Saturday against an East Carolina squad that is just 1-9 ATS over its last 10 games.

California Golden Bears (from -7.5 to -14) vs. San Diego State Aztecs: Cal head coach Sonny Dykes and quarterback Jared Goff have something cooking in Berkeley at the moment. The Golden Bears are 6-2 ATS over their last eight games when scoring more than 40 points in the previous game.

SMU Mustangs (from PK to -5) at North Texas Mean Green: Despite not playing last week, North Texas doesn’t have the firepower to hang with an offense such as the one possessed by SMU, who hung with Baylor for 30 minutes last week before wilting during the second half.

DAILY FANTASY VALUE PLAY OF THE WEEK

Chris Laviano, QB, Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Went 4/4 for 138 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 63-13 rout of Norfolk last weekend. But the primary reason why I like Laviano this week is this matchup with a porous Washington State defense that surrendered 24 points and 294 total yards in an embarrassing 24-17 loss to nobody Portland State last Saturday.

Vegas has this showdown posted with a total of 63 points and at a price of $6,800, Laviano is merely the 13th-ranked signal-caller for this week’s college football contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Oregon at Michigan State

(5) Oregon Ducks at (6) Michigan State Spartans (-3.5, 64.5)

Sixth-ranked Michigan State looks for some payback when it hosts No. 5 Oregon in a battle of national powers Saturday night. The Spartans lost a pair of contests last season -- a 46-27 decision at Oregon early on and another against Ohio State, which defeated the Ducks in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

While Michigan State often relies on a unit that is the only one to finish in the top 10 in the nation four consecutive seasons in total and rushing defense, the Ducks put up 731 yards in a 61-42 victory over Eastern Washington last week. Senior transfer quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. registered 340 yards of total offense in his debut for Oregon, and the Spartans must also contain productive running back Royce Freeman. Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook threw for 343 yards against Oregon last season, but was intercepted twice as the Ducks scored the game’s final 28 points. “I think we’ll be very motivated for the game, as will they, because this is a stepping stone game,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio told reporters. “. … It’s a big, national game, and I think we all understand that.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers have not moved off Michigan State -3.5 since opening, but the total has dropped from 67 to 64.5.

INJURY REPORT: Oregon - C. Nelson (probable), V. Adams (probable), D. Allen (out indefinitely), P. Brown (out indefinitely), T. Tyner (out for season). Michigan State - E. Smith Jr. (questionable), M. Meyers (out indefinitely), E. Davis (out for season).

WEATHER: The forecast is calling for a partly cloudy evening with northwest winds of 3-8 mph.

ABOUT OREGON (1-0): Adams, who took a late hit Saturday but proclaimed himself fine early in the week, threw for a pair of scores against his former team in the opener while Freeman rushed for a career-high 180 yards and three TDs. The Ducks must solve some issues on the other side of the ball to remain in the national title chase, after giving up 438 passing yards. “I think maybe in some ways, getting exposed the way we did is going to make us a lot better,” Oregon secondary coach John Neal told the Register-Guard.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (1-0): Cook completed 15-of-31 passes for 256 yards and two TDs in the 37-24 victory over Western Michigan last week, and his top target was Aaron Burbridge (four catches, 117 yards). One of the keys for the Spartans is developing a rushing attack with several inexperienced options behind a solid offensive line and freshman LJ Scott had a team-high 77 of their 196 yards in the opener. Linebacker Riley Bullough led the way with a career-best nine tackles and three of Michigan State’s seven sacks last week.

TRENDS:

*Spartans are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. Pac-12.
*Over is 7-0 in Spartans last 7 non-conference games.
*Over is 9-1-1 in Ducks last 11 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
*Ducks are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games on grass.

CONSENSUS: 55 percent of the betting public is on the Spartans.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's college football Top 25 betting cheat sheet: Week 2

We break down all the need-to-know facts and figures for Saturday's Top 25 NCAAF contests.


South Florida Bulls at (8) Florida State Seminoles (-28.5, 54)

* USF defensive coordinator Tom Allen expects big things out of his 4-2-5 unit, which held Florida A&M to 182 total yards but faces a much sterner challenge in Florida State. “The kids will rise up,” Allen told reporters. “They’ll have an awesome experience, but you’ve got to compete for 60 minutes.”

* It also the Seminoles might not skip a beat on offense as senior quarterback Everett Golson took the keys from departed No. 1 NFL draft pick Jameis Winston and was 19-of-25 for 302 yards and four touchdowns in his Florida State debut. “You saw it (last week), Everett throwing the ball around, the run is going to open it up and Everett is going to sling it around,” running back Dalvin Cook told reporters. “It’s going to be a 50-50 (run-pass) offense. Everett is that type of guy.”


Jacksonville State Gamecocks at (7) Auburn Tigers (Off, Off)

* "I think it is like a championship game because you won't play anyone better on the FCS level, so you have a stage there that our guys love to go be a part of and be in those types of games,” Jacksonville State head coach John Grass told reporters of playing an SEC opponent. “You get to see right where you are in these games because everything is magnified because (the Tigers) are a very good football team.”

* The Tigers have plenty of talent at running back and plan to have both Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson back after the two were forced out of the Louisville game due to injuries. Those injuries opened things up for Peyton Barber, who responded with 95 of his career-best 115 yards in the second half, and all three will get carries along with Johnson moving forward.


Miami (Ohio) Redhawks at (24) Wisconsin Badgers (-31, 52)

* The Redhawks defeated Presbyterian 26-7 in Week 1, covering as 8.5-point favorites. The last time that Miami (Ohio) began the season 2-0 against the spread was back in 2007 after covering the number at Ball State (+4) and at Minnesota (+8).

* Wisconsin safety and captain Michael Caputo has been given the all-clear to play this weekend. “Mike went through all the [concussion] protocol, actually early in the week,” Badgers head coach Paul Chryst said. “So he was able to do quite a bit. Had really a normal work week, workload. That has been energizing not just to our defense but to the team.”


Appalachian State Mountaineers at (12) Clemson Tigers (-19, 58.5)

* The Mountaineers are riding a seven game SU winning streak into Clemson - the fifth-longest streak in the nation. They've gone 5-1-1 against the spread over that stretch

* Mike Williams, Clemson's star wide receiver, may miss six wees following his injury in the season opener against Wofford. Williams. The 6-foot-4 junior was carted off the field following a collision with the field goal stanchion. Williams had 57 receptions for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns last season.


Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at (1) Ohio State Buckeyes (-41, 65)

* The highest-ranked team Hawaii has defeated was fourth-ranked Brigham Young 59-28 in 1990.

* The Buckeyes have thrown for at least one touchdown in 24 consecutive games, tying for the best streak in school history (1994-96).


Stephen F. Austin at (3) TCU Horned Frogs (Off, Off)

* The Lumberjacks are winless in eight contests against Big 12 teams, including blowout losses to Kansas State (55-16) last season and Texas Tech (61-13) in 2013.

* The defensive side at TCU is experiencing shortages after junior outside linebacker Sammy Douglas (unspecified) suffered a season-ending injury in the opener and news that senior defensive end James McFarland (foot) could miss the entire season. Senior defensive tackle Davion Pierson (unspecified) is in danger of missing his second straight game and senior defensive end Mike Tuaua (foot) is also ailing.


(9) Georgia Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores (+21, 50.5)

* There were no questions regarding the impact of sophomore running back Nick Chubb, who rushed for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns to kick off his Heisman campaign. The Georgia running backs is currently +1000 to win the Heisman at TopBet.eu.

* A big positive for the Commodores in their Week 1 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky was their defense, which held a Hilltoppers' offense that averaged 44.4 points last season scoreless for the first 44 minutes in the first game since head coach Derek Mason took over defensive coordinator duties.


Fresno State Bulldogs at (14) Ole Miss Rebels (-30.5, 55.5)

* The Bulldogs, who were picked to finish second in the West Division of the Mountain West, are hoping to record their first win over an SEC opponent in six tries after opening with a 34-13 home win over Abilene Christian. “Fresno State loves playing in environments against schools people would consider the bigger schools,” Rebels coach Hugh Freeze told reporters. “It will be a better test for us this Saturday to judge exactly where we are.”

* Ole Miss won its previous meetings against Fresno State in 2010 (55-38 in Oxford) and 2011 (38-28 in Fresno). They covered in both games as 2-point faves and 3.5-point dogs respectively.


(11) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Virginia Cavaliers (+12, 47.5)

* Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire got most of the headlines after Week 1 but the performance of the defense was just as notable, especially considering the way that unit played down the stretch last season. The Fighting Irish allowed an average of 39.4 points while closing last season 2-5, but limited Texas to 163 total yards and eight first downs in the opener.

* There is an 87 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms forecast for Charlottesville Saturday. Temperatures will be in the mid-70s but wind shouldn't play too much of a factor, blowing toward the NW endzone at around three miles per hour.


Tulane Green Wave at (16) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-30.5, 55)

* The Green Wave were crushed 37-7 by another ACC team (Duke) as 7-point dogs last weekend and coach Curtis Johnson is trying to ensure that doesn’t happen twice in a row. “(Georgia Tech is a) very good football team,” Curtis Johnson told reporters. “Again, the one thing we need to do is tackle, move the ball on them, and get a lead and try to make them throw the ball and become one-dimensional. That’s how you beat the option.”

* The Yellow Jackets are one of the hottest ventures at the betting window in the month of September in recent seasons. They've put together a record of 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games during the month. They covered as huge 41-point favorites in Week 1 with a 69-6 win over Alcorn State.


Toledo Rockets vs. (18) Arkansas Razorbacks (-21.5, 55)

* Toledo will be without its best player, RB Kareem Hunt, who led the MAC in rushing last season with an average of 163.1 yards per game but is serving a two-game suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules.

* Balance” is a new word being bantered about in Fayetteville this week as 18th-ranked Arkansas prepares to face Toledo in their annual game in Little Rock. And with good reason as coach Bret Bielema’s typically ground-oriented squad featured a 300-yard passer (Brandon Allen) for the first time in 25 games in Saturday’s season-opening 48-13 rout of UTEP.


Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at (2) Alabama Crimson Tide (-35, 56)

* Freshman quarterback Brent Stockstill got the majority of the snaps in the opener for the Blue Raiders and responded with 336 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Stockstill will get the start again over junior Austin Grammer, though Grammer is expected to get snaps.

* Alabama turned the offense over to a new quarterback in Jake Coker but is taking most of the pressure off by leaning heavily on junior running back Derrick Henry, who ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. Saban was pleased with the decision making of Coker, who put together a turnover-free performance in the 35-17 win over the Badgers.


(17) Oklahoma Sooners at (23) Tennessee Volunteers (+1, 63)

* Trevor Knight threw for 308 yards and a touchdown while running for another in last year's win over Tennessee, but he lost out on his starting job to Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, who lit up Akron for 388 yards and three scores last week. It marked the team's first game under new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley and his Air Raid attack, which figures to help a team that was run-heavy last season. The Sooners were held to three yards per carry against the Zips.

* Another suspension for a violation of team rules has thrust Tennessee defensive tackle Danny O'Brien from the mix for at least a week, coach Butch Jones announced on Wednesday.


(21) Missouri Tigers at Arkansas State Red Wolves (+10.5, 58)

* Arkansas State has gained at least 400 yards of total offense in 10 of 14 games under coach Blake Anderson, including five contests with at least 500 total yards.

* During its 10-game road winning streak, Missouri has recorded 39 sacks and 21 turnovers (13 interceptions, eight fumbles).

Ball State at (19) Texas A&M (-30, 63.5)

* The Aggies are 16-0 in nonconference games under fourth-year coach Kevin Sumlin.

* Three backs shared the majority of the Cardinals' 229 rushing yards, with Green (73 yards, three TDs) and freshman James Gilbert (61 yards, two TDs) reaching the end zone.


(20) Arizona Wildcats at Nevada Wolfpack (+11.5, 63)

* Three Arizona players who were suspended for the opener for a violation of team rules -- starting WR Samajie Grant, starting S Tellas Jones and backup DT Anthony Fotu -- will be available this week according to head coach Rich Rodriguez.

* Junior Tyler Stewart takes over for four-year starter Cody Fajardo at quarterback and had a solid opener for the Wolf Pack, completing 13-of-20 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown and also rushing for 43 yards on nine carries, including a 15-yard touchdown run.


Lamar Cardinals at (4) Baylor Bears (Off, Off)

* Waco hasn't been kind to visitors in recent years, as Baylor is 25-1 at home since 2011.

* The Cardinals breezed to a 66-3 triumph against NAIA Bacone last Saturday in their season opener. Joe Minden passed for three touchdowns, Carson Earp threw for a pair of scores, and Lamar added 264 rushing yards in a game where the coaches agreed at halftime to shorten the third and fourth quarters to 10 minutes apiece.


Idaho Vandals at (10) USC Trojans (-44, 67)

* USC has won all eight meetings, the most recent being a 38-10 victory in 2007.

* The Vandals have lost 22 consecutive road games and are just 2-22 in two-plus seasons under coach Paul Petrino.



(5) Oregon Ducks at (6) Michigan State Spartans (-3.5, 64.5)

* Oregon WR Bralon Addison, who had 890 receiving yards in 2013 before missing 2014 with an injury, had three catches for 24 yards and a TD last Saturday.

* Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio announced Spartans reserve S Mark Meyers was suspended indefinitely for an off-field incident that occurred over the weekend.



(15) LSU Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs (+4, 50.5)

* Mississippi State has not defeated LSU in consecutive meetings since 1990 and 1991.

* The Tigers are a lights out bet at the start of campaigns, as LSU has won its last 12 season openers.



(23) Boise State Broncos at BYU Cougars (+2.5, 55)

* The Cougars are 62-5 when scoring 30 or more points in coach Bronco Mendenhall's 10-plus seasons.

* The Broncos have won 10 consecutive games, the nation's second-longest active winning streak behind Ohio State (14).



(13) UCLA Bruins at UNLV Rebels (+30.5, 65.5)

* UCLA has won its last 10 games away from the Rose Bowl, which matches the school record set in 1997-98.

* Tony Sanchez said his team, coming off an ugly 2-10 campaign in 2014, won't accept moral victories but that's exactly what a season-opening 38-30 loss at defending MAC champion Northern Illinois was for long-suffering Rebel football fans. UNLV, which closed as a 21 1/2 point underdog, actually led 17-3 late in the second quarter and despite wilting defensively in the second half, showed some fight and drove into Northern Illinois territory late in the game on a potential game-tying touchdown drive that ended when usually reliable sophomore star Devonte Boyd dropped a pass on 4th-and-9 that would have been an easy first down.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's Top Action

OREGON DUCKS (1-0) at MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (1-0)

Line: Michigan State -4, Total: 67

For the second time in two seasons, highly-ranked Oregon (No. 7) and Michigan State (No. 5) will clash in a non-conference matchup with national title implications.

Last season, the seventh-ranked Spartans traveled to Eugene and held a 27-18 lead in the third quarter before the third-ranked Ducks woke up and finished on a 28-0 run to win 46-27. But Oregon had eventual Heisman Trophy-winning QB Marcus Mariota that game, and on Saturday new starting QB Vernon Adams Jr. might be less than 100 percent after getting hit hard in his team's unimpressive 61-42 win over FCS school Eastern Washington to open the season. Although the Ducks rushed for a ridiculous 485 yards on 8.5 YPC last week, they allowed the Eagles to pile up 549 total yards, including 438 through the air.

Michigan State also had trouble defending the pass against Western Michigan last Saturday in allowing 365 passing yards on 7.3 YPA, but played well enough to win 37-24 and nearly cover the 16.5-point spread on the road.

In last season's matchup the teams were about even in yardage (MSU 466, Oregon 491), but Spartans QB Connor Cook threw an uncharacteristic 2 INT to allow the Ducks to come back. Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich is 13-1 ATS after scoring 24+ points in the first half of his previous game, but Michigan State is 9-1 ATS in the past three seasons when coming off a road contest.

In addition to Adams listed as probable, the Ducks continue to be without three offensive players in RB Thomas Tyner (shoulder, out for season), WR Devon Allen (knee) and TE Pharaoh Brown (leg). All of the Spartans' potential absences are on the defensive side of the ball with LB Ed Davis (knee, out for season), DB Mark Meyers (suspension, out indefinitely) and LB Drake Martinez (undisclosed injury, questionable for Saturday) on the injury report.

Oregon QB Vernon Adams Jr. didn't disappoint in his first game with an FBS school, completing 19-of-25 passes for 246 yards (9.8 YPA), 2 TD and 0 INT against his former teammates at Eastern Washington. He also carried the football 14 times for 94 yards, and his 6.7 YPC average was actually the lowest on the team. Sophomore RB Royce Freeman rumbled for 180 yards on just 21 totes (8.6 YPC) with three touchdowns. He also ran well against the Spartans last year with 89 yards on 13 carries (6.8 YPC) and two touchdowns.

Seven different Ducks receivers caught at least two passes in the season opener, led by Dwayne Stanford's 90 yards on three receptions.

Oregon's defense gave up gobs of yardage last season (430 YPG - 165 rush, 264 pass), but still held opponents to 23.6 YPG. Although the unit had no answer for EWU star wideout Cooper Kupp, who finished with 15 catches for 246 yards and 3 TD, the Ducks were able to limit the Eagles to a pedestrian 111 rushing yards on 31 carries (3.6 YPC).

Michigan State QB Connor Cook is the star of this offense, coming off a 3,214-yard, 24-TD season. Although he failed to complete half his passes last week (15-of-31), he still threw for 256 yards (8.3 YPA), 2 TD and 0 INT. Top WR Aaron Burbridge is now the go-to receiver with Tony Lippett gone, and the senior had a big day in the opener with 117 yards on just four catches (29.2 avg).

More importantly for the Spartans was finding a solid ground game after losing Jeremy Langford, who rushed for 1,522 yards and 22 TD as a senior last year. Three ball carriers all topped 50 yards against WMU, with freshman LJ Scott leading the way with 77 yards on 13 carries (5.9 YPC). Redshirt freshman RB Madre London scored two touchdowns as part of his 59 yards on 13 carries (4.5 YPC) and sophomore RB Gerald Holmes ran for 54 yards on nine carries (6.0 YPC). Oregon had a middling run defense last year (165 rushing YPG, 4.2 YPC), so this trio should be able to find some holes.

Michigan State's defense was top-notch last season, allowing an FBS-low 88.5 rushing YPG, and the unit predictably stuffed the Broncos last Saturday, holding them to 18 yards on 23 carries. However, two WMU receivers caught at least 10 passes for 100+ yards, and that is very troubling to Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio, who knows that the Ducks have as much offensive talent and speed as any program in the nation.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Saturday's top 13 games

Temple sacked Hackenberg ten times LW in 27-10 win that didn't seem like an upset (TY 317-191). Since '09, Owls are 13-7 as road underdogs, but they've lost last five games with Cincinnati (four of five by 8+ pts). Road team covered last five series games. Bearcats are 13-9-1 as a home favorite since '11, 16-6-1 in last 23 conference games. Temple lost last two visits here, 38-20/30-24.

Mississippi State won 34-29 at LSU LY, ending 14-game series skid; Bulldogs are 1-4 vs spread in last five series games- they had solid win at Southern Miss last week, while LSU got rained out after 5:00, with boh offese/defense getting one series before lightning struck. Tigers won last seven visits to Starkville (6-1 vs spread) but are inexperienced at QB- they're 3-5 as road favorites since '12. MSU covered three of last four as a home underdog.

Short week for Marshall after they beat Purdue Sunday, scoring pair of defensive TDs; underdogs are 7-2 vs spread in their last nine games with Ohio-- Bobcats won three of last four series games, winning 34-31/44-7 in last two played in Athens, but Herd gained 704 yards in LY's 44-14 win, but LY's QB Cato (448 PY LY) is in CFL now. Marshall is 4-1 as a road underdog the last 3+ years.

Minnesota (+14) was outgained 449-341 LW in 23-17 home loss to #3 TCU; since '05, Gophers are 8-6 as road favorites. First real test for Colorado State under new coach Bobo; since '08, Rams are 12-6 as home underdogs- they've got 15 starters back but have new QB. CSU is 9-2 vs spread in last 11 non-league games. Minnesota is 11-8 in non-conference games under Kill.

BYU lost its star QB for year last week at Nebraska, then won game on Hail Mary on last play of game. Home side won all three series games; Boise lost 37-20 (+7) in last visit here they gained 637 TY on 55-30 win at home vs BYU LY. Since '08, Broncos are 25-11 as road faves, BYU is 3-3 as home underdog over last decade. Boise ran for 185 yards in 16-13 win over Washington (16-0 at half), holding Huskies to 179 yards.

Virginia gave up 351 passing yards to a frosh QB in 34-16 loss at UCLA in is opener; Cavaliers are 5-2-1 in last eight tries as home underdog, 6-2 in last eight non-ACC games. Notre Dame is 4-7 as road favorite under Kelly; they crushed Texas 38-3 LW, running for 214 yards, holding UT to 8 first downs and 163 yards. Zaire was 19-23/313 passing last week; ND had 30 first downs in the easy win.

Underdogs are 10-4 vs spread in last 14 Iowa-Iowa State games, as last four series games were all decided by 6 or less points. Hawkeyes are 3-5 in last eight visits here (dogs 4-3 vs spread in last 7 here). Since '12, Iowa is 5-0 as a road favorite, but they're 7-12 in last 19 non-conference tilts. Since '12, Cyclones are 4-7-2 as home underdogs. State had 337-275 edge in TY in LY's game, rallying back from down 14-3 at half.

Memphis is 3-2 as road favorite since 2013; from '06-'12, they were 0-0 as road favorites, thats how far their program has risen. Tigers are 7-1-1 vs spread in last nine non-conference games. Kansas is 11-6 as a home dog since '11, 2-7 in last nine non-league games; they lost 41-38 at home last week to I-AA South Dakota State, despite outgaining them by 113 yards (576-463). Jayhawks were -2 in turnovers.

Arizona (-19) gained 507 yards in 35-28 home win over Nevada LY; in meeting before that, Wildcats (-8.5) won 49-48 in bowl game. Since '06, Arizona is 6-10-1 as road favorite- they're 3-2 under RichRod. Nevada is 6-3 as home underdog since 2010. Arizona scored two defensive TDs in 42-32 win over UTSA last week; Roadrunners outgained them 525-392 but committed 10 penalties for 114 yards.

South Carolina won 13 of last 15 games with Kentucky (underdogs 4-1-1 vs spread in last six); they lost 45-38 (-4) in Lexington LY but Wildcats lost last seven visits here (3-4 vs spread) with four of seven Ls by 15+ points. Carolina is 2-6 in last eight tries as HF; they have QB issues; in LW's 17-13 win over UNC, they were 12-27 passing, using two QBs and two other guys playing QB in Wildcat formation.

Rutgers (+8) won 41-38 at Washington State LY, running ball for 214 yards but giving up 532 thru air. Since '09, Scarlet Knights are 10-15 vs spread as home favorite, but 14-8 in non-league games. Wazzu lost to a I-AA team at home in rain last week, after leading 10-0 at half; they are 7-2 vs spread in last nine tries as a road underdog. If Portland State ran ball for 233 yards last week, what will a I-A team do?

Oklahoma (-20) beat a very young Tennessee team 34-10 in Norman a year ago, but that was before Dobbs became Vols QB; Sooners had edge in yardage 454-313; they're 9-6 vs spread on road since '12, 11-5 in last 16 non-league games. Tennessee ran ball for 399 yards against Bowling Green last week, gaining 604 TY in 59-30 win- their pass defense wasn't too great (BG had 433 PY). This should be a fun game to watch.

Oregon is an underdog for first time in its last 46 games; LY, they beat Michigan State 46-27 (-13) at home, outgaining Spartans 491-466 in a game that MSU led 24-18 at half. Ducks' QB played I-AA ball for last three years; he got knocked silly by one of his former teammates in last week's game, will play here. Michigan State (-19) won 37-24 at Western Michigan last week in good test; they have a senior QB (27 starts).

Rest of the card.......
-- South Florida is 8-4 as road underdog under Taggart. Florida State was 1-6 as home favorite LY; they were 25-32/370 passing vs Sun Belt team last week in Golson's FSU debut.
-- Western Michigan is 9-4 vs spread on road under Fleck; Broncos lost 37-24 (+19) at home to Michigan State- they passed for 383 yards. TY in game was 383-452. Georgia Southern won last six home games.
-- Since 2012, Penn State is 10-5 vs spread off a loss; they're 11-6 as a HF since '12. Lions gave up 10 sacks last week, were outgained by 126 yards at Temple. Since 2010, Buffalo is 8-14 as a road underdog.
-- Army lost to I-AA Fordham last week; since 2011, they're 1-12 as a road underdog. Cadets (+4.5) beat UConn 35-21 LY, running ball for 327 yards. UConn is 2-10 as a home fave, 5-13 in last 18 non-league tilts.

-- Florida (-7) beat East Carolina 28-20 in a bowl LY; ECU was on the Florida 5-yard line with 1:20 left. Gators covered their last five non-SEC games, are 6-11 as a home favorite since '12. Pirates are 7-10 as a road underdog uncer McNeill.
-- Louisville is 13-4 vs spread off a loss; they're 14-26 as home favorites since 2004. Cardinals open ACC play vs Clemson Thursday; they beat Houston 20-13 (-17) in last meeting in '13. Cougars are 15-7-1 as road underdogs since '05.
-- Ole Miss opens SEC play with Alabama next; Rebels are 8-5-2 as HF under Freeze. Ole Miss beat Fresno 55-38/38-28 in its two meetings, last one was in '11. Bulldogs are 17-8 as road underdogs since 2007.
-- Wisconsin is 17-11 as home favorites since 2011; they're 16-13 off a loss since '05, 7-4 in last 11 non-conference games. Miami OH was 5-1 as road underdog LY, after being 9-19 the five years before that.

-- Kansas State already lost QB Ertz for while; since '05, they're 5-11-1 as road favorite. QB Hubener came off bench last week, was 9-18/147 vs I-AA South Dakota. UTSA lost 42-32 at Arizona LW; they gained 525 yards in Tempe but gave up pair of defensive TDs.
-- Ohio State is on very short week after decisive win at Va Tech; they're loaded on offense, are 22-14 as home favorites since '10. This is Jones' first start in Columbus (5th overall). Hawai'i is 8-10 as road dog under Chow; they upset Colorado in their home opener.
-- Syracuse won its last three games with Wake Forest by average score of 26-12; Deacons lost 13-0 in last visit here, are 11-22 as underdogs on road since '04. Syracuse is 8-10 as a home favorite since '10.
-- Clemson opens ACC play with Louisville in Thursday, will be looking past Appalachian State team in first year of I-A play. Tigers are 22-16 as home favorites under Swinney. Nation-wide, home favorites are 13-9 vs spread so far this season.

-- Since '07, Missouri is 13-3 as road favorite, 13-5 in its non-conferece games. Mizzou (-21) waxed Arkansas State 41-19 at home in '13; total yardage in game was only 495-435. Over last decade, ASU is 2-6 as a home underdog.
-- Wyoming lost at home to I-AA North Dakota, is 13-point favorite vs Eastern Michigan, which lost 38-34 at home to Old Dominon, with a -3 turnover ratio proving fatal. Cowboys are 4-6 as home favorite since '12. EMU is 5-14-1 as road dogs since '12.
-- Colorado is 4-0 as home favorite under MacIntyre; they looked bad in upset loss at Hawai'u last week. Buffs (-18) won 41-38 at UMass LY; they play rival Colorado State next week. Minutemen are 7-12 as a road underdog, since 2011.
-- Since 2008, Oregon State is 19-9 as road underdog (0-3 LY); Beavers' coach Anderson was at Wisconsin last two years- they didn't play the Wolverines. Home debut as coach for Harbaugh- they were 14-11 as a home favorite under Hoke.

-- Georgia Tech (-10) won 38-21 at Tulane LY; they could be looking ahead to next week's Notre Dame game. Tech is 13-8-1 as home favorite since 2011. Tulane is 6-11-1 in non-league games, 7-8-1 as a road dog since 2012.
-- Georgia is 16-2 in last 18 games with Vanderbilt (1-3 vs spread in last four); Dawgs won eight of last nine visits here- they lost last visit here in '13. Since '07, Georgia is 11-7 as road fave- they play So. Carolina next.
-- Cal is 1-7 as home favorite since 2012; they play Texas/Washington on road next two games, better not look past San Diego State squad that is 7-6 as road dogs under Long. Aztecs are 8-13 in non-league games.
-- Arkansas is a bully team; they covered last four games as home fave, their last six non-SEC games- their last eight wins are all by 17+ points. Toledo is 8-3 as road dog last three years; their game LW was cancelled by lightning, so this is their opener.

-- Alabama is in Wisconsin/Ole Miss sandwich; might be tough to cover huge spread. Tide is 9-5 in last 14 games as home fave. MTSU is 13-20 as road underdog since '07, 5-17 in last 22 non-conference games.
-- Since 2010, Air Force is just 5-17 as home favorite. These teams have not met since '97. San Jose State was 0-6 as road dogs LY after going 9-3 the previous three years. Spartans have ten starters back on offense.
-- Akron (+21) upset Pitt 21-10 on road LY, outgaining them 382-349; Zips are 6-15 s home dogs since '08, 2-7 under Bowden. Pitt is 3-5 in last eight games as road favorite, 9-13 in last 22 non-league games.
-- Bowling Green gave up 604 yards last week, 399 on ground in 59-30 loss at Tennessee; Falcons are 22-14 as road dogs since '06. Maryland is 7-9 as home favorite under Edsall, 13-10 in non-league games since '10.

-- North Texas (-3.5) was +5 in turnovers, hammered SMU 43-6 LY in Denton; Mean Green was 0-6 as road dogs LY- they're one of few teams that didn't play last week. Mustangs are 7-18-1 as home favorites since '07- they failed to cover last eight non-conference games.
-- Since '11, Texas A&M is 10-14 as home favorite; they're 16-21 out of conference since '07. Ball State is 29-10 as a road dog since '06, but they gave up 444 passing yards in 48-36 win over I-AA VMI last week, bad omen heading into SEC country.
-- Texas Tech won 30-26 in El Paso LY, racking up 504 yards. Tech won last three games vs UTEP (0-3 vs spread), Red Raiders are 4-9-1 as HF since '11, 11-8 in non-league games since '10. Miners are 3-9 as road dog in two years under Kugler.
-- Texas changed play caller after one game, so problems there; Horns are 12-17 as home favorite since '09, 9-7 out of conference since '11. This is first meeting with Rice since '11. Owls lost 13 of 22 starters from LY; they're 7-4 as road underdogs last three years.

-- New Mexico State (-2) won 34-31 at Georgia State LY, after trailing in first half 17-0. Aggies got crushed at Florida last week (34-13 at half); they're 5-7 as HF over last decade. Panthers are 8-2 as road dogs last two years; they lost 23-20 at home to Charlotte LW, despite +2 TO ratio.
-- Nebraska lost on Hail Mary on last play last week, could take it out on South Alabama squad that is 9-7 as road dogs in four years they have been a I-A team. Huskers play Miami next; they're 6-9 as HF since '13, 10-6 in last 16 non-conference games.
-- Indiana gave up 659 yards in 48-47 win over I-AA Southrn Illinois at home last week; since '08, Hoosiers are 9-13 as home favorite, they are 12-15 in last 27 non-league games. FIU won as 17-point dog at UCF in its opener, outgaining Knights by 96 yards.

-- USC pounded on Arkansas State LW; they play Stanford next week; Trojans are 5-2 as home favorites under Sarkisian, 7-14 in non-league tilts since '10. Idaho was 6-0 as road dogs LY; they got whacked 45-28 at home by Ohio last week, giving up a defensive TD.
-- Tulsa beat FAU 47-44 in OT last week, giving up 580 TY, surviving a -4 turnover ratio; since '10, Hurricane is 10-7 as road dog- they failed to cover last eight non-league games. New Mexico is 5-2 as home favorite under Davie. Lobos have high profile game at Arizona State next week.
-- UCF lost as 17-point home favorite to FIU last week; Stanford lost as 10-point favorite at Northwestern and plays USC next week. Cardinal is 7-3 off a loss under Shaw; they're 7-5 as home favorite last two years. Since 2009, Knights are 15-7 off a loss (20-12 last 32 as road dog).
-- UNLV covered easily as 22-point dog at Northern Illinois LW, now they're 30-point home dog to UCLA team that clobbered Virginia in its opener. Bruins are 5-5 in last ten games as road favorite; they're 9-4 in non-conference games under Mora.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Prime-time showdown'

The eyes of College Football fans as well as those with a penchant for sports gaming will be on the Michigan State vs Oregon clash Saturday evening at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans took care of business in their opener, beating Western Michigan by a score of 37-24 on the road but did not cover the 16.5 point spot. Spartans QB Connor Cook hit 15 of 31 passes for 256 yards, 2 TD's while RB's Madre London, Gerald Holmes tallied 3 TD's on the ground in the victory.

Meanwhile, Oregon behind QB Vernon Adams tossing 246 yards, a pair of TDs and RB Royce Freeman grinding out a career-high 180 yards, three TD's dismantled Eastern Washington 61-42 in its opener but failed to cover the 35 point spread.

The teams clashed in Week-2 last year at Autzen Stadium a game Marcus Mariota and the Ducks easily won 46-27 as 14 point home chalk flying 'Over' the 57 point total. Mariota now gone and his successor Vernon Adams a possible scratch after taking a hard blow to the head in the opener the Spartans are a small -3.0 point betting favorite at online sportsbooks. When handicapping this contest a few trends to ponder. Spartans ridding a 13-1 (8-6 ATS) stretch at home are 1-3 ATS last four at home as faves of 4 or less points and a cash draining 1-6 ATS the last seven overall vs a Pac-12 opponent. The Ducks enjoying a 9-2 ATS stretch last eleven on the field are 13-2 (9-6 ATS) last fifteen September road games, a profitable 11-2 ATS last 13 road games vs a team with a winning home record.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Texas El Paso at Texas Tech September 12, 3:30 EST

Would seem Texas Tech has found a quarterback. Patrick Mahomes threw for 425 yards, four TD's in win over Sam Houston State. However, getting shredded for 320 passing, 317 rushing yards in allowing 45 points, the defensive problems that have plagued the Red Raiders over the past few years don't seem to have been fixed. Handing UTEP Miners 21 points of offense you bet Red Raiders at some risk. Red Raiders have not responded laying double digits. The 59-45 win and push as 14 point chalk last weekend gives the squad a 3-6-1 ATS record last ten as DD Faves. Keep in mind, Red Raiders did not live up to expectation in last season's meeting needing a late 4th quarter TD to nip UTEP 30-26 in dropping the loot as 21 point chalk.


Central Florida at Stanford September 12, 10:10 EST

Stanford's offensive struggles which plaqued the squad last year continued in the opener as senior QB Kevin Hogan completed 20 of 35 passes for 155 yards with no majors and one interception while the ground game went nowhere recording 85 rushing yards in a stunning 16-6 loss at Northwestern. Coach David Shaw and his troops should to get back on track at home where they've won 11-of-13 (8-5 ATS). But, not sold they can cover the 17.5 point spot vs UCF Knights who thrive against the number away from home going 5-1 ATS the past six, 6-2 ATS the past eight taking double digits.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Football Predictions: Week 2 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews

My biggest takeaways from Week 1 of the college football season? Three national title contenders suffered major injuries, and the Big Ten is not very good.

Let's start with the injuries. Notre Dame's leading returning rusher, Tarean Folston, was lost for the season with a knee injury in what was otherwise a thoroughly impressive 38-3 win over Texas on Saturday (may want to update your resume, Charlie Strong). Last year, Folston rushed for 889 yards and six touchdowns. The team was already thin at the position after losing reserve tailback Greg Bryant this summer because of academics.

Clemson receiver Mike Williams also is likely to miss the season. He suffered a scary-looking neck fracture after running into the goalpost following a touchdown reception early in the first quarter against Wofford on Saturday. The good news is that he won't need surgery and didn't suffer any major damage. It's not impossible he plays again this season but unlikely. He won't be re-evaluated for six weeks. Williams caught 57 passes for 1,030 yards in 2014.

Finally, UCLA top defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes also will miss the season after tearing his ACL in the Bruins' win over Virginia. Last year, Vanderdoes was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention after recording 50 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, and two sacks. He led UCLA on Saturday with eight tackles, including two for a loss.

As for the Big Ten, it's really going to be a long week for the commissioner Jim Delaney if Ohio State is upset at Virginia Tech on Monday. Sure, Minnesota nearly upset TCU and Northwestern knocked off No. 21 Stanford over the weekend, but Michigan lost at Utah, Nebraska fell on a Hail Mary at home to BYU, Wisconsin was no match for No. 3 Alabama and, worst of all, Penn State was clobbered by Temple. It was the Owls' first win over the Nittany Lions in 74 years.

Here are a few games that caught my eye this week. No totals as of this writing. Not very many good matchups -- it's probably the worst week of the season in that regard other than the big one in East Lansing.

Utah State at Utah (-13): This screams trap game (it's on Friday) in my mind for Utah even though it's a rivalry game. Did you see how the Utes celebrated that win over Michigan? Clearly they were tired of hearing Jim Harbaugh's name all week. I think they come out flat here. Utah State didn't look good in its opening 12-9 win over Southern Utah, but I simply think the Aggies were looking ahead to this one. They also have the better quarterback in Chuckie Keeton, who I think has been playing college football since the 1980s. The pick: USU.

Oregon at Michigan State (-3.5): Clearly the nonconference game of the season with Oregon at No. 7 in the preseason AP poll and Michigan State No. 5 -- new polls aren't released as usual yet because of the Labor Day game. Doubt either team moves, although neither covered in Week 1. I took Western Michigan and the points against the Spartans and WMU only lost by 13. Although the Broncos only covered because of garbage-time scores, but hey I'll take it. The Spartans set a school record by scoring 30-plus points for the ninth straight game. That broke the mark set in the 1978 and 1979 seasons. Oregon allowed 42 points to FCS school Eastern Washington in a 19-point victory. That has to be concerning. Ducks QB Vernon Adams, formerly of Eastern Washington, made his FBS debut and threw for 246 yards and two scores but had to leave in the fourth quarter after a big hit. He says he's fine and will play against Michigan State. The Ducks beat the visiting Spartans 46-27 last season in Week 2. MSU actually led 27-18 in the third quarter. With how lousy the Big Ten looks, I don't think MSU can afford a loss and get to the College Football Playoff, assuming the Spartans also lose at Ohio State in November. The pick: Michigan State.

Oklahoma at Tennessee (pick'em): This is your only other matchup of ranked teams on Saturday. The Sooners opened with a 41-3 home win over Akron. Baker Mayfield threw for 388 yards, a school record in a season opener, and three touchdowns in his first start at OU. The walk-on transfer from Texas Tech won the starting job in a preseason battle with last year's starter, Trevor Knight, after sitting out in 2014. OU put up 539 yards as it transitions to an up-tempo attack under new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. The Vols beat Bowling Green 59-30 on Saturday. It was UT's first game as a ranked team since the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2008. But the Vols also gave up 557 yards to a MAC team. Starting Tennessee receiver Pig Howard was suspended for the game and will return here. The pick: Tennessee.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Stroman return to pitch Saturday for Jays
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Right-hander Marcus Stroman suffered what was believed to be a season-ending ACL tear during spring training but has recovered in six months and will start Saturday for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Stroman will be activated from the disabled list and take the mound against the New York Yankees in New York. The Blue Jays and Yankees face a crucial four-game weekend series in a tight American League East race.

The 24-year-old pitcher was injured during a fielding drill in spring training in March and believed to be out for the season. Dr. James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon who works on high-profile athletes, was stunned by Stroman's rapid progress. And so was Stroman.

"That's just crazy, six months later ... I'm so excited," Stroman said on Twitter.

Stroman pitched in two rehab games to prepare for his first start in the big leagues this year. In low-Class A last week, he struck out seven and allowed no runs in 5 1/3 innings but gave up four runs, eight hits and four walks in three innings of a Triple-A game on Monday.

Last season, Stroman posted an 11-6 record with a 3.65 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings that included 20 starts and six relief appearances for the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons plans to use Stroman in Mark Buehrle's spot in the rotation for the time being while giving Buehrle some extra rest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Marlins ace Fernandez ready to return
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

MIAMI -- Things just got worse for the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals, the run-away favorites in the National League East at the start of the season, trail the surprising New York Mets in the division by seven games. The Mets on Wednesday completed a three-game sweep at Washington.

Now the Nationals travel, starting on Friday, to face the lowly Miami Marlins, which should be a break for Washington ... except that Jose Fernandez will start against the Nationals on Saturday.

Fernandez, who is 15-0 with a 1.14 ERA in his career at Marlins Park, will be making his first appearance since recovering from a biceps strain.

"He threw the ball very well," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said of Fernandez's bullpen session on Wednesday. "Looks like all systems are go."

Jennings said that every step along the way "is a test" for Fernandez, and the next one is Saturday against Washington.

Unfortunately for the Nationals, they will get to face Fernandez at home, where he has been unbeatable and virtually unhittable.

"They're in a battle," Jennings said of the Nationals' effort to catch the Mets. "I'm sure they're ready for whoever goes out there. They have to be ready to play."