Service Plays Friday 10/8/10

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Best NCAA Bets

Connecticut Huskies vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+5, 41.5)
(3-2, 3-2 ATS) (2-2, 0-4 ATS)
For two Big East teams that are hoping to go bowling this year, this Friday Night Football betting fight is absolutely imperative. The Connecticut Huskies will hit the road to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, NJ.

With RB Robbie Frey sidelined, the onus for the Huskies offense is on the back of RB Jordan Todman. Many thought that Todman had the ability to be a Heisman Trophy dark horse this year, and though he’ll ultimately probably put up the numbers to be a Heisman finalist, his team’s struggles will surely keep him away from New York. The third year rusher has already toted the rock 98 times for 638 yards and five games this year, and he has seven scores to show for it. HC Randy Edsall has a major quarterback problem, as neither QB Zach Fraser nor QB Cody Endres has proven that they can lead this team to wins. Endres got the nod in last week’s win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, and he is expected to do the same this week. The junior is completing 68.3 percent of his pass attempts for 318 yards with four scores against one pick. He’ll be looking for WR Michael Smith quite a bit. Smith, who has had at least 63 receiving yards in four of his first five games this year, is up to 20 catches for 373 yards in 2010.

HC Greg Schiano really has to coax his team’s ego after last week’s devastating loss as double digit favorites to the Tulane Green Wave at home. The defense hasn’t been the issue this year, as Schiano has his men on this side of the ball hitting and hitting hard. Rutgers ranks No. 8 in the land in rush defense at just 80.0 yards per game, while it is fourth in the nation in scoring at 12.0 points per game. No team has scored more than 17 points against the Scarlet Knights this year. However, with QB Tom Savage nursing sore ribs, this offense has just hit a stand still. RB/WR Mohamed Sanu can do anything that Schiano needs him to do, and he leads the team in both rushing and receiving. Sanu has totaled 490 yards of offense in four games, and he even punted the ball once! RB Joe Martinek has been ineffective, as he only has 176 yards, while RB Jordan Thomas is averaging just 3.3 YPC. The Scarlet Knights only have seven TDs to speak of in four games offensively.

Something tells us that the offensive woes end on Friday night. If Savage is really ready to go, he needs to show the world that he is the future of this program. Sanu will be the best athlete on the field at any given moment, and he has the ability to do something that no one really does for the Huskies: Break the game wide open all by himself. Go with the Scarlet Knights at home under the lights in a modest upset.

Selection: Rutgers Scarlet Knights +6


Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (+24, 62)
(4-0, 3-1 ATS) (2-2, 2-2 ATS)
Traveling to take on Sun Belt schools is always something dangerous for a BCS conference team to do, but that’s the task that the Oklahoma State Cowboys are going to be in for on Friday night when they take on the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns at Cajuns Field in college football betting action.

There might not be an offense that has impressed more this year than that of Oklahoma State. The numbers that this team has been putting up week in and week out have been absurd. QB Brandon Weeden has thrown for 1,259 yards and 13 scores, while RB Kendall Hunter has rushed for 574 yards and eight TDs of his own. No one can stop WR Justin Blackmon either, as he has 34 catches, 558 yards, and nine scores in just four games! Needless to say, Okie State ranks in the Top 3 in the land in total offense (534.8 YPG), passing offense (364.8 YPG), and scoring average (52.2 PPG). Last week’s 38-35 win over the Texas A&M Aggies was the “worst” offense output of the season. It wasn’t the worst defensive performance, though. Another Sun Belt team, the Troy Trojans, nearly pulled off the upset in Stillwater earlier this year, losing 41-38.

The Ragin’ Cajuns have to face the simple fact that they are outmatched in this game, and if they are going to stand a chance at pulling off the upset, they’re going to need to be at the top of their game and be very, very lucky as well. The offense just isn’t good enough to keep up with the Pokes, so QB Chris Masson is going to have to take good care of the football and not force any mistakes. He is completing 51.5 percent of his passes for 721 yards and does have a solid 5/1 TD/INT ratio on the season. However, he’ll need some help at some point from at least one or two of his backs. This is a team that prefers to throw the football, and as a result, the leading rusher has just 153 yards. RB Kevis Streeter is averaging 7.7 YPC this year, which is nice, but he is the only man that has more than three carries this season that is averaging more than four yards per tote of the football. The defense has allowed 35.0 points per game this year as well, and the only time that a non-Sun Belt team was played, the Cajuns lost 55-7 to a 1-4 Georgia Bulldogs squad.

This might be the first time this year that the Pokes are going on the road, but we just can’t see them struggling. This line sort of implies that the Cowboys are allowing at least four TDs on the day, and there just isn’t enough offense there for the Ragin’ Cajuns to pull that off, even at home. The best case scenario is a narrow cover for ULL. We’ll back the team that isn’t just “hoping” to hang on.

Selection: Oklahoma State Cowboys -24

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

What Bettors Need To Know: Friday's NCAAF Action

We have two home underdogs Friday, with UCONN playing Rutgers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys taking on the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. Here’s a quick look at both of those games:

Connecticut Huskies at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+5, 41.5)

Why UCONN Will Cover

For the Huskies, its all about the switch at quarterback. Under Zach Frazer, UConn got off to a mediocre 1-2 start and the passing offense had just two touchdowns, both against lowly Texas Southern. During the second half of the Buffalo game, coach Randy Edsall decided to put in Cody Endres, who ended up 7-for-11 for 139 yards and two TDs in an eventually 45-21 win.

The momentum carried over into last week’s 40-21 win over Vanderbilt. The Huskies’ current form couldn’t come at a better time with conference play beginning Friday night. Rutgers has yet to cover a spread this season and it has not shown much on offense, scoring just 19.2 points per game, which ranks 90th in the nation.

Why Rutgers Will Cover

For all the talk about Rutgers’s offensive woes, including the questionable status of quarterback Tom Savage, many are forgetting that statistically the Scarlet Knights have one of the best defenses in the nation. They rank 13th in yards allowed at 266.8 per game and are fourth in points allowed at 12.0 ppg. A key player on defense is Antonio Lowery, who recorded 13 tackles last week against Tulane.

This matchup has been close in recent years, with Rutgers winning 12-10 in 2008 and coming out on top again last year, beating UConn 28-24.

Notes And Trends

The line opened at -6 in favor of UConn and has since moved down to -5 at most books. The under has moved a half point down to 41.5. The last three Rutgers games have gone under the total.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (+24, 62)

Why Oklahoma State Will Cover

It will be hard to top the energy of last Thursday’s thriller against Texas A&M, but the Cowboys proved that they were a quality team last week. Twenty-four is a huge number, but Oklahoma State has the offensive fire power and personnel mismatches to cover that spread.

The only BCS team that the Ragin’ Cajuns have played was Georgia and they gave up 55 points again UGA. Now remember, this isn’t the Georgia team with Matt Stafford at the helm, this a Georgia team that ranks 79th in points scored.

Also in the last two years, UL Lafayette has failed to cover a game in which it was underdogs by 20 points or more.

Why UL Lafayette Will Cover

Rarely does a Sun Belt team get national TV attention, so with a ranked team coming for a visit you can expect the Ragin’ Cajuns to bring their best. This, oddly enough, is the first road game for Oklahoma State and ULL has recently done well against BCS teams at home, upsetting Kansas State last year 17-15. Quarterback Chris Mason has shown steady improvement and is coming off a 300-yard game.

Twenty-four points is a tough spread to cover for a team that ranks 97th in yards given up at 414.5 per game. There’s no doubt the Cowboys will get their points, but the weak defense combined with the second-string factor leave Oklahoma State vulnerable to a backdoor cover.

Notes And Trends

One-point line movement from -23 to -24 was expected with last Thursday’s game still on the minds of most bettors. Huge difference in popular opinion with nearly 80 percent of wagers on Oklahoma State.

The total of 62 is high but justified, with both teams a combined 7-1 over/under this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Payoff Pitch: Friday's Best MLB Mound Matchup

Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds vs. Roy Oswalt, Philadelphia Phillies

Bronson Arroyo (17-10, 3.88 ERA)

The wanna-be rock star quietly had his strongest season in the National League.

Since coming over from Boston in 2006 he had merely flashed his overall skills, but this season he ranked fourth in the NL in wins (17), sixth in complete games (2) and eighth in WHIP (1.15) and innings pitched (215.2).

Arroyo hasn’t pitched in the postseason since his time with the Red Sox. But in three pressure-packed seasons he appeared in five different series and a total of 10 starts, failing to impress nearly every time. In 17 career postseason innings – including two starts – he has yielded 14 earned runs on a staggering 19 hits. His playoff ERA is an astronomical 7.41.

The hurler also doesn’t throw well against the Phillies. In his career, he is just 1-5 against the Phils with a horrid 5.54 ERA.

"You know, Bronson's been here before," Reds manager Dusty Baker told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "They have some guys over there that have had some success against Bronson, too. But there are some guys last night that didn't have any success against Volquez and ended up having success. So, it's just hard to tell."

The over is 4-0-1 in Arroyo’s past five outings but just 12-16 in his starts this season.

Roy Oswalt (13-13, 2.76 ERA)

So how does the 33-year-old from Weir, Mississippi, follow up Roy Halladay’s performance?

He starts by trying to build on his strong regular season that saw him finish first in the National League in WHIP (1.03), fifth in ERA, sixth in complete games (2) and 10th in strikeouts (193).

Since coming over to Philadelphia from Houston, the former Astro has been pitching other-worldly, posting a quality start in 10 of his 13 outings. Discounting an inning of work he put in on Sunday against the Braves to stay fresh, Oswalt has given up only one earned run over his past 27 innings.

Against the Reds he is just as good. Oswalt is 23-3 lifetime against Cincinnati with a 2.81 ERA, limiting the Reds to a .242 batting average.

"There's really no way to explain it from when I first started," Oswalt told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "A few times I actually gave up a few runs against them and my team came back and scored me a few. There really wasn't one direct thing, I guess."

Oswalt has seen three of his past five starts go under the total and is 12-20 against the number this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

HOT LINES

Friday's Best MLB Bets

Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia Phillies (-190, 7)

The Reds have plenty of flash: the team leads the National League in batting average (.278), homers (188) and runs scored (790). But the Phils are the ones with the substance: Philadelphia hasn’t allowed a run in its past 30 innings against the Reds this season.

“We have an approach that we have figured out that works for us, and that we're able to execute," Reds outfielder Jay Bruce told the Associated Press. "I think the biggest thing is the execution factor and the fact that we have an approach that works and that works consistently. It's shown all year that we led the
National League in hitting. So I think that that speaks volumes as well."

Against the Phillies, however, the team’s offense has been more like a whisper than a shout.

Meantime the Phillies haven’t exactly hammered the Reds pitching staff either.

Philadelphia is hitting a meager .230 against the Reds this season and is averaging just a hair over four runs per game against them. The team also has just 21 extra-base hits in seven games against the team from Ohio.

Pick: Under


Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants (-190, 7)

The Giants may not need many runs in their series against the Braves. And that’s good, because the team simply can’t hit. It took one of the best Septembers in MLB history by the team’s pitching staff to power it into the postseason and it will be the team’s hurlers that will be the crux of its playoff push toward a National League pennant.

This season, the Giants are hitting a pitiful .197 against the Braves in seven games, averaging a meager three runs per game in those matchups.

But San Francisco pitchers have been the great equalizer, posting a 3.68 ERA against Atlanta, striking out 64 while allowing them to hit a mere .233.

"This year we made every effort to put together the best team we could and do everything we could to improve on last year's record and be contenders all through the season," second-year San Francisco managing partner Bill Neukom told the Associated Press. "So far so good is all you can say."

Again, the Giants won’t score many runs. But with pitchers like theirs, they won’t need much.

Pick: SF Giants

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Betting NHL West Over East Is The Sharpest Play In Hockey

When it comes to non-conference play in the National Hockey League, the West has clearly been the best.

Since the 2004 lockout, the Western Conference has dominated regular season play against its East counterparts, putting together a 558-354-47-62 record in that span and earning 53.46 units ($5,346 if you wagered $100 on the West) over those five seasons. The East has gone just 463-439-49-70 in that same time frame, burning bettors for an embarrassing 107.20 units lost.

This may not resonate as much with regular fans, but the trend is too tempting for bettors to ignore – particularly if it continues into the 2010-11 campaign.

The one-sided nature of the showdown isn't limited to one or two outlier seasons: it has been consistent since the lockout. Here are the West's overall winning percentages against the East over that time:

2005-06: .590
2006-07: .613
2007-08: .600
2008-09: .570
2009-10: .626

Simply put, the West has won roughly six of every 10 matchups against the East over the past five seasons. And with last year serving as the most one-sided season yet (West earned 32.76 units, East lost 46.21 units), it doesn't appear that the trend will cease as we enter 2010-11.

The reasons for the chasm could be attributed to a pair of factors.

Talent disparity: The West has traditionally had the strongest regular-season teams, with San Jose and Detroit leading the way while Vancouver, Calgary, Colorado and Anaheim have also enjoyed their share of post-lockout success. Aside from Pittsburgh, Washington and New Jersey, the East has largely struggled to match the skill of its West rivals.

Geography: With their conference spread out over three time zones, West teams are well-conditioned to handle the rigors of travel. The same can't be said for their East counterparts, who enjoy the luxury of having all 15 teams contained within the Eastern time zone. When East teams finally do venture toward the Pacific, they're forced to make adjustments to their schedules and often struggle as a result.

While the talent disparity can shift over time, the role of travel will always be a factor, especially when East teams make the journey west.

When facing the West, Eastern Conference teams will often find themselves on road trips of three or more games. The Florida Panthers, for example, will open the 2010-11 campaign with road games in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The Atlanta Thrashers open by hosting Washington, then hit the road for consecutive games in Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim.

These trips have proven to be costly for East teams. The West has a remarkable 314-146-25-26 home mark against the East (+27.38 units) since the lockout, providing bettors with one of the easiest default plays available: when East visits West, take the West and smile.

Fourteen of the 15 teams in the conference have winning home records against the East since 2005, led by Vancouver (27-5-0-1), San Jose (26-4-1-2), Detroit (27-9-3-1) and Calgary (23-5-2-3). Detroit is the obvious oddball on this list on the basis of being in the Eastern time zone, but the Wings' home dominance is more a product of its consistently deep and talented roster than any other factor.

Conversely, the Boston Bruins own the best road record against West opponents at a pedestrian 16-12-1-4. The worst road warriors include Ottawa (13-18-3-2), Philadelphia (13-19-1-3), Toronto (10-22-1-0) and Carolina (8-23-3-2).

Bettors should pinpoint spots on the calendar where East teams make West road trips, and take advantage of what has become one of the most consistent regular-season trends since the resumption of play.

Handicapping East-West matchups in East locales is more difficult. The West has a decent record in these games (244-208-22-36) and has made 26.08 units over the last five seasons, but has struggled in Carolina (24-12-1-0), Montreal (21-8-1-3), New Jersey (20-10-0-3) and Pittsburgh (23-12-1-3). Easier targets include Boston (12-13-2-6), Florida (12-13-2-6) and Toronto (10-18-1-4).

East-West games in East cities are generally a toss-up, so bettors should opt for the favorable matchup above all.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ICE PICKS

Friday's Best NHL Bets

Washington Capitals at Atlanta Thrashers (+152, 6.5)

The three-time defending Southeast Division champion Washington Capitals are ready to again do what they do best – lay the smack down on their division.

Washington may have had its share of playoff woes, but has no issues with giving teams in its own division the beatdown. The Capitals have an eight-game unbeaten streak against the Thrashers dating back to April 5, 2009. Over that span, the team is averaging a staggering 4.9 goals per game.

Meantime, Atlanta has been nothing short of pathetic in its first weeks under coach Craig Ramsey. The Thrashers went 0-5-1 in the preseason and couldn’t be much worse. The squad also is committed to going young, giving big minutes to 18-year-old center Alex Burmistrov, 19-year-old forward Evander Kane and 20-year-old defenseman Zach Bogosian.

"I think there is a big upside here," Atlanta defender Dustin Byfuglien told the Associated Press. "We've got a lot of young, hard-working players and some veterans who know how to win. I see a lot of good things. I think it's going to be exciting."

That’s slang for, “I am prepared for us to suck.”

Pick: Washington Capitals


Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators (-129, 5.5)

The Buffalo Sabres haven’t just been bad against the Ottawa Senators lately – they have been dreadful. Buffalo has lost 20 of its past 26 games against Ottawa including nine of its past 10 overall.

But things will be a little different this time. The Senators likely will be without injured center Jason Spezza, who had 57 points in just 60 games last season. The team also will be without defender Filip Kouba until later this month. The team also has a lot of instability in goal in the shaky Pascal Leclaire and Brian Elliot.

Meantime, Buffalo should be even more talented with the offseason addition of forward Rob Niedermayer and defenders Shaone Morrisonn and Jordan Leopold. The savy veteran up front and the puck-moving defensemen should provide a strong boost to the team’s attack.

"We did lose some players, but we have a core that knows what's going on," Sabres goalie Ryan Miller told ESPN.com. "I think we do have a great amount of talent and the guys on the team are very smart. We play a good system. That's what does it for you, if consistently every night guys know where they have to be shift to shift. From there, they can be creative and you can be a great team."

Pick: Buffalo Sabres

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL Betting Preview

Edmonton Eskimos at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-6, 52)

The Edmonton Eskimos will go on the road looking for the home-and-home series sweep against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after last week's 37-35 win at home. This Week 15 matchup is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 8 at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. (PT).

Edmonton kept its playoff hopes alive with the victory over Hamilton last week. The Eskimos are still in last place of the West Division with a record of 4-9 straight up. They currently trail British Columbia by two points for the sixth and final spot in the postseason. Edmonton is 5-8 overall against the CFL betting spread this year and is 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS on the road. The total has gone ‘over’ in seven of its last 10 games.

Last week’s loss dropped Hamilton to 6-7 SU on the year and leaves it still tied with Toronto for second place in the East Division, three games behind first-place Montreal. The Tiger-Cats are also 6-7 ATS overall and 3-3 both SU and ATS at home this season. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of Hamilton’s last seven games.

Game 1 of this home-and-home series was a battle to the end with the Eskimos hanging on for the two-point win. Hamilton failed to cover as a 1 ½-point road favorite and the total went way over the 50-point line. The Tiger-Cats built a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter but the Eskimos battled back on a Fred Stamps five yard touchdown catch from QB Ricky Ray.

Rod Davis then intercepted a Kevin Glenn pass and returned it 22 yards for a score to tie the game at 21. It remained close through much of the second half until Stamps' 45-yard reception with less than five minutes to play in the game set up a one yard TD plunge by Ray to give Edmonton a 37-29 lead that it never relinquished.

Ray ended the game completing 28-of-36 attempts for 384 yards and two TD’s, while his counterpart Glenn completed 26-of-37 attempts for 294 yards and two TD’s along with the one costly interception. Stamps finished with 10 receptions for 181 yards and one TD. Tiger-Cats WR Marquey McDaniel led his team with nine catches for 122 yards and two teams. You have to believe both these pass-and-catch duos will be at it again this week as the ground game for either CFL team was not extremely effective.

Edmonton has now won four of the last five games between these two teams SU, but Hamilton is 3-2 ATS. The average margin of victory in these five games has only been 4.2 points with the largest spread being seven points. Sportsinteraction.com has opened the Tiger-Cats as a 5 ½-point favorite and the ‘over/under’ line is currently set at 52.

The Eskimos are battling for their playoff life and desperately need a win to keep B.C. within their sights. They may not be able to win this game on the road, but will be able to keep it close enough to cover the 5 ½ points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Best CFL Bets

Edmonton Eskimos (4-9) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-7)

Don’t laugh, but the Edmonton Eskimos are back in the playoff hunt, one game behind the B.C. Lions and two back of both Hamilton and the Toronto Argonauts in a possible crossover scenario (which would require the Eskimos to finish ahead of Toronto or Hamilton). In other words, the Esks, seemingly dead in the water three weeks ago, have something to play for this weekend as they try to make it three wins in a row. With the return of wide receiver Fred Stamps, defensive end Greg Peach, and a culture of accountability under their new general manager, Eric Tillman, the Esks might just accomplish that, especially if the Ticats keep beating themselves with missed opportunities, bad penalties and inopportune fumbles by DeAndra’ Cobb. The running back enters this game riding two streaks – three consecutive 100-yard rushing games; two consecutive games in which his fumbles have cost his team victories. Receiver Kamau Peterson returns to the lineup for the Esks.


Pick: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bettors' Best Friend (BBF): Friday's Wagering Tips

Line Moves

Connecticut at Rutgers: The visiting team opened at minus-6, but has since seen that number fall to just a five-point edge.

Oklahoma State at Louisiana-Lafayette: The road team opened as a 23-point favorite and that number has increased even more in their favor to 23.5.

Weather To Watch

Reds at Phillies: There is an expected 11 mph wind blowing from third toward first across the diamond.

Braves at Giants: There is an expected 10 mph wind blowing out from home plate toward center.

Who’s Hot

The over is 20-8 in the Blue Jackets past 28 games against the Pacific Division.

The Capitals are 43-13 in their past 56 against the Southeast Division.

Connecticut is 6-1-1 ATS in its past eight games against Rutgers.

Who’s Not

The Stars are 17-35 in their past 52 home games.

The Ducks are 7-27-1 in their past 35 games in Detroit.

The Sabres are 6-20 in their past 26 against Ottawa.

The under is 11-2 in Oklahoma States past 13 road games.

Key Stat

52: Faceoffs won by the Minnesota Wild in its season-opening, 4-3 loss to Carolina. The Hurricanes, however, won a meager 33 draws in the win and rematch the Wild on Friday. The Hurricanes are a low-power offensive team and need puck possession to score – something they did rarely last year as the team won a meager 48.1 percent of its draws, the fourth-worst mark in the league. The team was gifted a pair of power-play goals on Thursday and it should be tough to light the lamp, let alone win, if this trend keeps up. The Wild are listed at +100 with a total of 5.5 against the Hurricanes on Friday.

Injury That Shouldn't Be Overlooked

The offense for the Houston Texans isn’t sputtering – but it isn’t exactly clicking on all cylinders either. And the team could again be without its best weapon this Sunday against the Giants as receiver Andre Johnson remains hobbled by an ankle injury. He ran on Thursday, but remains in limbo. Also dinged up is fellow receiver Jacoby Jones. The return specialist is another of the team’s deep threats and he has been hobbled by a calf injury. Coach Gary Kubiak said both players will be game-time decisions.

Game Of The Day

Connecticut Huskies at Rutgers Scarlett Knights (+5, 43)

Notable Quotes

"I'm not getting into that. I've got my hands full with the Jets." – Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre on if he sexted a picture of his penis to former Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger.

Tips And Notes

Can you say, “contract year?” Milan Hejduk of the Colorado Avalanche has repeatedly over the summer. The offensively gifted right winger is in the final year of his deal and at the age of 34 is hoping to have one final big year to cash in on. Hejduk, who plays on the second line with David Jones and Matt Duchene, scored just 23 goals last year – his lowest total since 2001-02 – but played in just 56 games. The Avalanche scored a meager 11 goals in seven preseason games and if the team is to contend for another playoff berth, it needs Hejduk to literally play for his next paycheck.

Things could get ugly in the early going for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The perennial doormat in the Western Conference has had just three weeks to adjust to coach Scott Arniel’s high-pressure system. The approach focuses on making the opposition make split-second decisions amidst constant pressure from double-teams and rotating players. That’s a lot of chemistry to expect from a team that yielded 249 goals last year – more than three per game. Good luck trying that out against San Jose’s offense, which was fourth in the league at 3.13 goals scored per game last year. "There will be moments when the tendency of the players is to step back to what he's comfortable with and some of the things they've done in the past,” Arniel told NHL.com. “It's a work in progress."

It looks like Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno wants no part of the Ravens defense this weekend in Baltimore as he remains out with a leg injury. The anemic Denver rushing attack is averaging a horrid 55 yards per game – 13 fewer than the next closest team, and Moreno’s 2.8 average yards-per-carry likely wouldn’t help much against a stout Ravens run-stopping unit, but at least his presence would have given a team that lost 30-7 in Charm City last year another offensive weapon. Good luck, Kyle Orton. "I think we're just trying to make sure we make a smart decision on when he's ready and when he's not," Denver coach Josh McDaniels told MaxDenver.com. "Unfortunately, we can't have him out there every day until he's totally healthy."

 

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DUNKEL NCAA PICKS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8
Time Posted: 9:00 p.m. EST (10/5)

Game 307-308: Connecticut at Rutgers (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 87.804; Rutgers 87.975
Dunkel Line: Even; 46
Vegas Line: Connecticut by 6; 42
Dunkel Pick: Rutgers (+6); Over

Game 309-310: Oklahoma State at UL-Lafayette (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma State 99.965; UL-Lafayette 69.939
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma State by 30; 59
Vegas Line: Oklahoma State by 24; 62
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma State (-24); Under

 

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MATT FARGO

CFB FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
9* UL Lafayette +24

 

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BASEBALL CRUSHER
PLAY OF THE DAY

Philadelphia Phillies/Cincinnati Reds UNDER 7

 

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with Nebraska (-11-1/2) Thursday night.

Friday it's the Phillies. The profit is 125 sirignanos.

 

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Arthur Ralph Sports
528 - 382 run 58 %

Bonus Play 11-2 Bonus Play run FRI: Over 42 Rutgers

 

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Gamblers Data

Bonus Plays

Friday Pass

 

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DCI

Big East Conference
Connecticut 27, RUTGERS 19

FBS Non-Conference
Oklahoma State 46, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 22

 

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DCI NHL

Minnesota vs. Carolina: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
San Jose 3, Columbus 2
NEW JERSEY 3, Dallas 2
DETROIT 4, Anaheim 3
Buffalo vs. OTTAWA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Washington vs. ATLANTA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

 

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KIKI SPORTS

Friday October 8th

2 units U Conn -5
1 unit ULL +24
1 unit Cincy/Phily OVER 7

 

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DR BOB
STRONG OPINION
Rotation #309 Oklahoma State (-24) Strong Opinion at -24 or less.