POINT TRAIN CFB
4-Unit
Southern Miss (-5.5) over Kansas
Friday, September 17 – 7:00 PM CST
Southern Miss catches Kansas in a terrible spot here. KU managed just 293 total yards and three points in their loss to FCS North Dakota in week one. They bounced back in a “must win” situation against the defending ACC Champs – Georgia Tech – with a 28-25 upset at home. KU was out-gained by the Yellow Jackets, but held a lead in the 4th and forced 2nd highest pass attempt total for GT in the past two years (GT is a heavy run-first team). Now they have a short week of practice and have to travel to Southern Miss for their first road game of the season.
SM was out-played at South Carolina in their first game of the season but bounced back with a huge win over FCS Prairie View A&M last week. They were able to work out the problems with their offense and now have a good feel coming into their first big home game.
SM was a 13 point underdog when they traveled to Kansas last season. SM held a lead late in the 3rd quarter but allowed two late touchdowns and lost by 7. KU lost a lot of firepower from last years team and are still trying to get associated with their new head coach. KU’s freshmen QB will struggle in his first road test in primetime Friday night and SMU will get the revenge win tonight.
4-Unit
Southern Miss (-5.5) over Kansas
Friday, September 17 – 7:00 PM CST
Southern Miss catches Kansas in a terrible spot here. KU managed just 293 total yards and three points in their loss to FCS North Dakota in week one. They bounced back in a “must win” situation against the defending ACC Champs – Georgia Tech – with a 28-25 upset at home. KU was out-gained by the Yellow Jackets, but held a lead in the 4th and forced 2nd highest pass attempt total for GT in the past two years (GT is a heavy run-first team). Now they have a short week of practice and have to travel to Southern Miss for their first road game of the season.
SM was out-played at South Carolina in their first game of the season but bounced back with a huge win over FCS Prairie View A&M last week. They were able to work out the problems with their offense and now have a good feel coming into their first big home game.
SM was a 13 point underdog when they traveled to Kansas last season. SM held a lead late in the 3rd quarter but allowed two late touchdowns and lost by 7. KU lost a lot of firepower from last years team and are still trying to get associated with their new head coach. KU’s freshmen QB will struggle in his first road test in primetime Friday night and SMU will get the revenge win tonight.
Bobby Maxwell
Friday's winner...
400-Unit College FB High Octane Special - NEVADA WOLF PACK
Everyone knows Nevada can light up a scoreboard, the question coming into the season was “how good is the Wolf Pack defense?” Saturday, they showed us they can play a little defense, limiting Colorado State to two field goals and just 272 yards of offense in a 51-6 home blowout of the Rams.
Tonight should be very interesting, as a high-powered Cal squad head to Reno to take on Nevada. I’m thinking this game becomes a real shootout and with QB Colin Kaepernick running on all cylinders, I’m going to grab the points and play the Wolf Pack in this one.
Kaepernick put his stamp on the Colorado State game early, rattling off a 57-yard run on the second play of the game to set the tone for the blowout. He finished the game with 161 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored twice. Then with his arm he completed 21 of 29 passes for 241 yards and two more scores, accounting for 402 yards of total offense. Through two games this season, Kaepernick is completing better than 70 percent of his throws and he is just the ninth player in NCAA history to run for 3,000 yards and throw for 3,000 yards in a career.
Defensively, the two new safeties in the lineup, Marlon Johnson and Duke Williams, combined for 12 tackles against Colorado State and they will get plenty of work against Cal as the Bears have scored 52 points in each of their first two games, beating UC Davis 52-3 and beating Colorado on Saturday 52-7.
Key for Nevada tonight will be DE Dontay Moch, the returning WAC defensive player of the year. He is going to have to get after Cal QB Kevin Riley who has already thrown for seven TD passes, including four against Colorado on Saturday.
Defensively, the Bears are using a new scheme and so far it seems to be working as they’ve only allowed 10 points this season. But UC Davis and Colorado have nowhere near the firepower of the Wolf Pack. And the Bears also don’t have the offensive weapons that Nevada does. Young receivers and a running game that isn’t all that good is going to cost them tonight. RB Shane Vereen had just 67 yards in the opener and managed just 59 against Colorado on 16 carries.
Cal has not done well against teams from the WAC, going 0-5 ATS the last five matchups, and they also struggle on the highway at just 6-13 ATS in their last 19 on the road.
Nevada is on several positive ATS streaks, including 26-12 at home, 5-0 after a straight-up win, 4-1 on Fridays and 8-3 at home against teams with a winning road record.
More bullets in the gun of Nevada. I’m grabbing the points and playing the Wolf Pack at home tonight.
Friday's winner...
400-Unit College FB High Octane Special - NEVADA WOLF PACK
Everyone knows Nevada can light up a scoreboard, the question coming into the season was “how good is the Wolf Pack defense?” Saturday, they showed us they can play a little defense, limiting Colorado State to two field goals and just 272 yards of offense in a 51-6 home blowout of the Rams.
Tonight should be very interesting, as a high-powered Cal squad head to Reno to take on Nevada. I’m thinking this game becomes a real shootout and with QB Colin Kaepernick running on all cylinders, I’m going to grab the points and play the Wolf Pack in this one.
Kaepernick put his stamp on the Colorado State game early, rattling off a 57-yard run on the second play of the game to set the tone for the blowout. He finished the game with 161 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored twice. Then with his arm he completed 21 of 29 passes for 241 yards and two more scores, accounting for 402 yards of total offense. Through two games this season, Kaepernick is completing better than 70 percent of his throws and he is just the ninth player in NCAA history to run for 3,000 yards and throw for 3,000 yards in a career.
Defensively, the two new safeties in the lineup, Marlon Johnson and Duke Williams, combined for 12 tackles against Colorado State and they will get plenty of work against Cal as the Bears have scored 52 points in each of their first two games, beating UC Davis 52-3 and beating Colorado on Saturday 52-7.
Key for Nevada tonight will be DE Dontay Moch, the returning WAC defensive player of the year. He is going to have to get after Cal QB Kevin Riley who has already thrown for seven TD passes, including four against Colorado on Saturday.
Defensively, the Bears are using a new scheme and so far it seems to be working as they’ve only allowed 10 points this season. But UC Davis and Colorado have nowhere near the firepower of the Wolf Pack. And the Bears also don’t have the offensive weapons that Nevada does. Young receivers and a running game that isn’t all that good is going to cost them tonight. RB Shane Vereen had just 67 yards in the opener and managed just 59 against Colorado on 16 carries.
Cal has not done well against teams from the WAC, going 0-5 ATS the last five matchups, and they also struggle on the highway at just 6-13 ATS in their last 19 on the road.
Nevada is on several positive ATS streaks, including 26-12 at home, 5-0 after a straight-up win, 4-1 on Fridays and 8-3 at home against teams with a winning road record.
More bullets in the gun of Nevada. I’m grabbing the points and playing the Wolf Pack at home tonight.
jeff benton friday
0-1 yesterday minus 20 dimes minus $220..overall 117-139-7 minus 495
Jeff Benton Friday's Action
30 DIME college football selection on CALIFORNIA minus the points vs. Nevada in a non-confeaence clash from Reno. As I go live with this play, Cal is fluctuating between a 2½ and 3-point favorite. Obviously, there’s a huge difference between those two numbers, so make sure you shop around and get the best of the number in this conetest.
10 DIME baseball selrction on the ASTROS at home against the Reds. This is a pick-em game most locales. Make sure when making your wager that your list only Wandy Rodriguez as Houston’s starting pitcher. If Rodriguez does NOT start, this play is null and void!
CALIFORNIA (-2 1/2)
Plain and simple, Nevada is the biggest bully in all of college football. When the Wolf Pack are matched against the Little Sisters of the Poor – you know, schools like UNLV, Colorado State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, etc. – they look like the 2008 Florida Gators. But when forced to buakle their chin straps and run with the big boys of college football, the Wolf Pack put their collective tail between their collective legs and cower in the corner.
To the first point: Nevada has won its first two games this year by scores of 49-24 and 51-6. The opponents? Eastern Washington and Colorado State, respectively. Last year, Nevada beat UNLV, Louisiana Tech, Utah State, Idaho, Hawaii, San Jose State, Fresno State and New Mexico State by a combined score of 413-181. That’s eight wins by an average margin of 51.6-22.7.
What did the Wolf Pack do in their five losses last season? 35-0 at Notre Dame, 35-20 at Colorado State (which is embarrassing, as they were favored), 31-21 to Missouri, 44-33 at Boise State, 45-10 to SMU (bowl game). Going back to the start of the 207 season, Nevada has lost eight straight games to teams from upper-echelon conferences (plus independent Notre Dame). Not only did they lose those eight games, they went 1-7 ATS.
With the exception of the one spread-cover – 36-31 loss at Northwestern as a 10-point ‘dog in 2007 – every other defeat has been a blowout. I meentioned the Notre Dame and Missouri losses last year, but there was also the following: 35-19 home loss to Texas Tech; 69-17 road loss at Missouri; 42-35 bowl-game loss to Maryland; 52-10 road loss at Nebraska.
Bottom line: Even though the jury is still out on how good Cal is – though the Bears certainly opened some eyes with that 52-7 dismantling of Colorado on Saturday – there’s no doubt in my mind they’ve got better athletes on both sides of the football than Nevada does (especially defensively). The fact Nevada is a home ‘dog here tells us that much.
And even though Cal has a tough road game on deck next week (Pac-10 opener at Arizona), I don’t see ANY way the Bears get caught in a letdown trap here – not on the road, not in a prime-time televised contest, and not when coach Jeff Tedford and his staff know how dangerrus Nevada’s offense can be.
No, Cal will be 100 percent focused for this contest, with their superior strength, speed and athleticism, the Bears will beat down Nevada the same way every other BSC school beats up on the Wolf Pack – we’re talking an easy double-digit win for the visitors.
ASTROS (Listing Rodriguez)
I can’t pass up Wandy Rodriguez at a pick-em price at home, even if he’s facing the first-place Reds and even if he’s been the recipient of some horrible luck. Rodriguez has delivered 10 consecutive quality starts going 4-1 with a paltry 1.30 ERA during this stretch while giving Houston at least seven innings eight times, including in each of the last four starts.
This 10-game run began with a dominating 4-0 home victory over the Reds, as he allowed just one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts in seven shutout innings. In fact, if you take away a wind-altered, five-run, six-inning effort at Wrigley Field on July 19 – and he was spotted an 8-1 lead in that game – Rodriguez has a 1.70 ERA in 12 starts since June 24, and all 12 were quality starts.
Additionally, if you eliminate an eight-run, 3 1/3-inning disaster in Cincinnati back on May 28, Rodriguez’s last nine starts against the Reds dating to August 2008 have yielded the following stats: 10 earned runs, 55 hits, 15 walks, 71 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings (1.63 ERA).
Finally, the Astros have been solid in the second half of the season, going 34-23 – including 17-7 in the last 24 overall and 10-2 in their last 12 against N.L. Central foes – to pull within six games of .500. Houston also has won 18 of 25 at Minute Maid Park, and you know they would relish the opportunity to beat their rivals and make them sweat at little bit (the Reds, who have lost five straight on the road, have a magic number of 10 coming into this game). On top of that, the Astros will be motivated because they’ve lost 19 of the last 25 meetings to Cincinnati.
0-1 yesterday minus 20 dimes minus $220..overall 117-139-7 minus 495
Jeff Benton Friday's Action
30 DIME college football selection on CALIFORNIA minus the points vs. Nevada in a non-confeaence clash from Reno. As I go live with this play, Cal is fluctuating between a 2½ and 3-point favorite. Obviously, there’s a huge difference between those two numbers, so make sure you shop around and get the best of the number in this conetest.
10 DIME baseball selrction on the ASTROS at home against the Reds. This is a pick-em game most locales. Make sure when making your wager that your list only Wandy Rodriguez as Houston’s starting pitcher. If Rodriguez does NOT start, this play is null and void!
CALIFORNIA (-2 1/2)
Plain and simple, Nevada is the biggest bully in all of college football. When the Wolf Pack are matched against the Little Sisters of the Poor – you know, schools like UNLV, Colorado State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, etc. – they look like the 2008 Florida Gators. But when forced to buakle their chin straps and run with the big boys of college football, the Wolf Pack put their collective tail between their collective legs and cower in the corner.
To the first point: Nevada has won its first two games this year by scores of 49-24 and 51-6. The opponents? Eastern Washington and Colorado State, respectively. Last year, Nevada beat UNLV, Louisiana Tech, Utah State, Idaho, Hawaii, San Jose State, Fresno State and New Mexico State by a combined score of 413-181. That’s eight wins by an average margin of 51.6-22.7.
What did the Wolf Pack do in their five losses last season? 35-0 at Notre Dame, 35-20 at Colorado State (which is embarrassing, as they were favored), 31-21 to Missouri, 44-33 at Boise State, 45-10 to SMU (bowl game). Going back to the start of the 207 season, Nevada has lost eight straight games to teams from upper-echelon conferences (plus independent Notre Dame). Not only did they lose those eight games, they went 1-7 ATS.
With the exception of the one spread-cover – 36-31 loss at Northwestern as a 10-point ‘dog in 2007 – every other defeat has been a blowout. I meentioned the Notre Dame and Missouri losses last year, but there was also the following: 35-19 home loss to Texas Tech; 69-17 road loss at Missouri; 42-35 bowl-game loss to Maryland; 52-10 road loss at Nebraska.
Bottom line: Even though the jury is still out on how good Cal is – though the Bears certainly opened some eyes with that 52-7 dismantling of Colorado on Saturday – there’s no doubt in my mind they’ve got better athletes on both sides of the football than Nevada does (especially defensively). The fact Nevada is a home ‘dog here tells us that much.
And even though Cal has a tough road game on deck next week (Pac-10 opener at Arizona), I don’t see ANY way the Bears get caught in a letdown trap here – not on the road, not in a prime-time televised contest, and not when coach Jeff Tedford and his staff know how dangerrus Nevada’s offense can be.
No, Cal will be 100 percent focused for this contest, with their superior strength, speed and athleticism, the Bears will beat down Nevada the same way every other BSC school beats up on the Wolf Pack – we’re talking an easy double-digit win for the visitors.
ASTROS (Listing Rodriguez)
I can’t pass up Wandy Rodriguez at a pick-em price at home, even if he’s facing the first-place Reds and even if he’s been the recipient of some horrible luck. Rodriguez has delivered 10 consecutive quality starts going 4-1 with a paltry 1.30 ERA during this stretch while giving Houston at least seven innings eight times, including in each of the last four starts.
This 10-game run began with a dominating 4-0 home victory over the Reds, as he allowed just one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts in seven shutout innings. In fact, if you take away a wind-altered, five-run, six-inning effort at Wrigley Field on July 19 – and he was spotted an 8-1 lead in that game – Rodriguez has a 1.70 ERA in 12 starts since June 24, and all 12 were quality starts.
Additionally, if you eliminate an eight-run, 3 1/3-inning disaster in Cincinnati back on May 28, Rodriguez’s last nine starts against the Reds dating to August 2008 have yielded the following stats: 10 earned runs, 55 hits, 15 walks, 71 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings (1.63 ERA).
Finally, the Astros have been solid in the second half of the season, going 34-23 – including 17-7 in the last 24 overall and 10-2 in their last 12 against N.L. Central foes – to pull within six games of .500. Houston also has won 18 of 25 at Minute Maid Park, and you know they would relish the opportunity to beat their rivals and make them sweat at little bit (the Reds, who have lost five straight on the road, have a magic number of 10 coming into this game). On top of that, the Astros will be motivated because they’ve lost 19 of the last 25 meetings to Cincinnati.
