THE SPORTS ADVISORS
Temple at Army
Army tees it up against one of the three teams it was able to beat last season when the Owls come calling at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y.
Army went just 3-9 SU (4-6-1 ATS) last season but scored a 37-21 win over Temple in late September, covering as a six-point home chalk. These two have only met four times in the last 21 years with the Black Knights holding a 3-1 SU and ATS advantage.
Temple (4-8, 7-5 ATS in 2007) is in its third year under coach Al Golden and is coming off an inspired 4-4 Mid-American Conference campaign a year ago, going 4-3 SU (5-2 ATS) to end the season. The Owls? offense improved from No. 117 in the nation in 2006 to No. 44 last year. Meanwhile their defense was ranked No. 1 in the country in the RED ZONE and No. 14 in third-down situations.
Returning for Temple on defense is tackle Terrance Knighton, who was a third-team all-MAC selection a year ago and was a beast against Army, making six tackles, recovering two fumbles and blocking a 54-yard field-goal attempt. Offensively, the Owls return QB Adam DiMichele, who completed 61.9 percent of his throws and torched Army for a season-high 314 yards before suffering a broken leg in the eighth game last year
Army coach Stan Brock is installing an option-based offense after last season?s disaster that saw the Knights average just 87.5 yards per game. Brock is giving junior QB Carson Williams (1,770 yards passing last year) the responsibility to pitch or run with the new offense, and leading the way at RB is the duo of Tony Dace (330 rushing yards in 2007) and sophomore Patrick Mealy (302 rushing yards).
Army has lost 11 straight season-openers is just 7-16 ATS in its last 23 games overall. Meanwhile Temple has lost 29 of its last 31 road games and hasn?t been a road favorite since 2002 at Rutgers. The Owls are 5-8-1 ATS on the highway since Golden took over in 2006, including 3-3 ATS last year, but they?re 6-2 ATS in their last eight against independents.
For Temple, the under is on runs of 7-0 overall, 5-2 on the road and 4-1 in non-conference games. On the flip side, the over is 5-2 in Army?s last seven home games and 8-2 in its last 10 on turf.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
SMU at Rice
The June Jones era begins at Southern Methodist University as the Mustangs travel to Rice Stadium in Houston to take on the Owls in a Conference USA opener.
Rice won a 43-42 shootout over SMU last season when the Owls hit a 31-yard field goal with no time left to get the home win as 7?-point underdogs. Rice has won seven of the last 10 series meetings (7-3 ATS) and six in a row SU and ATS at home. The straight-up winner is 10-0 ATS in those 10 clashes, and the home team is on a 10-2 SU and ATS roll in this rivalry.
Jones brings his run-and shoot offense with him from Hawaii to SMU, which went 1-11 last year (4-8 ATS), including 10 straight losses to finish the season. Jones has stirred up his troops by sending returning QB Justin Willis to the third team. Willis is the school?s all-time leader with 51 TD passes and was an honorable mention all-Conference USA selection last year with 3,643 yards and 25 TDs.
Getting the nod at QB tonight in place of Willis is freshman Bo Levi Mitchell who led his high school team to the Texas Class 5A championship last year. His top target with the Mustangs will be junior WR Emmanuel Sanders who has 18 career TDs and finished on a high note last season by catching 13 balls for 118 yards and three TDs in the season finale against Memphis. On the other side of the ball, the Mustangs look to fix a group that ranked 116th in total defense and 117th in scoring defense in 2007.
Rice (3-9, 5-6 ATS) opened last year with four straight losses (0-3 ATS), including an embarrassing 16-14 setback to Division I-AA Nicholls State in an unlined contest to open the season. The Owls finished the year losing five of eight, but they went 8-5 ATS.
David Bailiff enters his second year at Rice and is hoping to improve a defense that ranked last in the nation in passing yards allowed (312.4 per game) and second to last in points allowed (42.9 per game). Offensively, the Owls have a dynamic duo in QB Chase Clement and WR Jarett Dillard, who have combined for 32 TD passes, six shy of an NCAA record.
Clement is the first player in NCAA history to throw for more than 300 yards and rush for more than 100 in back-to-back games, accomplishing the task in the win over SMU when he threw for 364 yards and two TDs and rushed for 124 yards and two more scores. Dillard is the active NCAA leader in catches, receiving yardage and TDs, and he?s scored at least one TD in 17 of his last 18 conference games.
Rice is 0-3 ATS in its last three in the rare role of favorite, but the Owls are 29-15-2 ATS at home since 1998 and 11-3 ATS in their last 14 conference matchups. Meanwhile, SMU is 9-5 ATS on the highway since 2005, including 4-2 ATS in its last six as a road pup, but overall the Mustangs are just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 overall.
The over is 21-4 in Rice?s last 25 Conference USA games, 21-5 in the Owls? last 26 in front of the home fans and 40-11 in their last 51 games overall. Also, four of the last five head-to-head clashes between these in-state rivals have flown over the total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
NFL Preseason
San Diego (2-1 SU and ATS) at San Francisco (2-1 SU and ATS)
The Chargers wrap up preseason play by trekking up the Pacific coast to Monster Park to take on the 49ers in a game that, like most in the final week of exhibition play, won?t have starters seeing much action.
San Diego put up a late TD and a two-point conversion to top Seattle 18-17 on Monday, but failed to cover as a 5?-point home chalk. The Chargers have been a middling preseason team since 2003, with a 12-11 ATS mark (13-10 SU), going 2-2 ATS each year from 2003-2007. The Chargers have also gone just 2-4 ATS in their last six preseason road games (1-0 ATS this year).
San Francisco held off Chicago 37-30 last week as a 3?-point road underdog for its second straight win and cover. Under fourth-year coach Mike Nolan, the 49ers are 6-1 SU and ATS at Monster Park in preseason play, and they are 8-3 SU and ATS at home in August since 2003.
Second-year Chargers coach Norv Turner said no starters will play more than a few series, and QB Philip Rivers, who sat out Week 2, once again likely won?t play at all. While Turner didn?t divulge who would start at QB, backup Billy Volek figures to get the nod, followed by Charlie Whitehurst and possibly Casey Bramlet. Volek relieved Rivers late in the third quarter last week and went just 3 of 9 for 33 yards.
Nolan has already named J.T. O?Sullivan the starting quarterback for the 49ers? regular-season opener, but it?s unlikely that O?Sullivan will play against the Chargers. Former first-round draft pick Alex Smith should see plenty of action, followed by Shaun Hill. Smith went 6 of 17 for 83 yards and a TD last week, and Hill was 6 of 7 for 60 yards.
These teams meet every summer, with San Diego having the upper hand of late, going 4-1 dating to 2003 (3-2 ATS). Last year in Week 4, the Chargers won 16-13, barely cashing as a 2?-point home favorite.
The over has cashed in four of San Francisco?s last six preaseason outings and is 6-3 in San Diego?s last nine August contests. In addition, the over is 3-1 in the past four preseason clashes between these instate rivals.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SAN FRANCISCO and OVER
Denver (1-2, 1-1-1 ATS) at Arizona (2-1 SU and ATS)
The Cardinals, who still haven?t resolved their quarterback controversy, finish the exhibition season by taking on the Broncos at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Arizona pounded Oakland 24-0 last week, winning and covering as a 3?-point road pup. However, the Cardinals are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in their last four home preseason games, and they?re 0-3 SU and ATS in their last three preseason finales ? all against Denver.
The Broncos fell to Green Bay 27-24 last week laying three points at home. Mike Shanahan?s troops are 15-9 SU in preseason play dating to 2003, with a 7-3-1 SU and ATS mark on the highway. In addition, the Broncos are on a 6-1 ATS tear in their last seven preseason finales, and they?re 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine as an underdog in August.
Second-year Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt hasn?t officially named his regular-season starting QB, but he did say Kurt Warner will start tonight. Last week, Warner played a couple of possessions late in the first half and early in the second half, going 2 of 4 for 40 yards and leading a TD drive. Meanwhile, former first-round pick Matt Leinart had nearly as many INTs as completions against Oakland, going 4 of 12 for 24 yards with three picks.
Whisenhunt said Leinart, who started in Weeks 1 and 3, might not play against the Broncos. If not, look for Brian St. Pierre to relieve Warner, followed by rookie Anthony Morelli.
The Broncos have no such QB issues, with third-year pro Jay Cutler entrenched as the starter ? meaning he likely won?t see a down of action in the preseason finale. Patrick Ramsey is expected to get the start, followed by Darrell Hackney.
Denver hammered the Cardinals 21-3 as a 3 ?-point home favorite in last year?s finale, and the Broncos are 6-1 SU and ATS against Arizona in August since 1999.
The over has cashed in five of the last seven preseason meetings between these squads.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER
NATIONAL LEAGUE
L.A. Dodgers (65-69) at Arizona (68-65)
Two teams that have struggled lately square off at Chase Field as the host Diamondbacks hand the ball to southpaw Doug Davis (5-8, 4.53 ERA) to open a key three-game series against the Dodgers, who will send Hiroki Kuroda (7-9, 3.87) to the hill.
Arizona, trying to hold off L.A. atop the N.L. West, comes in flat, having lost four straight games before taking Thursday off. On Wednesday at San Diego, the D-Backs built a 4-0 lead, only to lose 5-4 as the Padres swept the three-game series. Arizona is on further slides of 1-5 overall, 2-8 with Davis on the bump and 3-7 in Friday games.
Los Angeles has fared even worse lately, dropping seven straight games, all on the road. On Wednesday night in Washington, the Dodgers got hammered 11-2 as the lowly Nationals completed a three-game sweep. The Dodgers are in a 1-9 funk overall and are 2-13 in their last 15 road games.
Arizona has won seven of 12 clashes in this rivalry this season, including four of six meetings at Chase Field.
The Diamondbacks have lost in four of Davis? last five starts, including Sunday?s 5-2 home setback against Florida as Davis allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings. The veteran is just 3-5 with a 4.85 ERA in 11 home starts this year, and he?s 4-3 with a 2.98 ERA in eight career starts versus Los Angeles. However, Davis has gotten shelled in his last two starts against the Dodgers ? at home July 18 and on the road Aug. 3 ? allowing a combined 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits in just 4 2/3 innings, for an eye-popping 17.36 ERA.
L.A. wasted a solid effort by Kuroda on Sunday at Philadelphia, as he allowed just one run on two hits in six innings, but got a no-decision in a 5-2 loss. The Dodgers are just 2-5 in Kuroda?s last seven outings, losing the last two in a row. The rookie right-hander is 2-7 with a 4.48 ERA in 13 road starts this season, and he?s 1-1 with a 4.80 ERA in three outings against Arizona.
The under is on a 10-2 roll in Kuroda?s last 12 road starts and is 9-3 in the Dodgers? last 12 division games. Conversely, the over has cashed in Davis? last four starts against L.A.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
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