Maddux
Today's Free Pick is GB & Chicago Over 40
Winning Way Sports
John's Free NBA Selection for Monday!
Selection: Sacramento Kings +13 (-110)
Las Vegas Sports Investments
Free NBA Selection by Brian Marshall
December 22, 2008
Game: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets
Plays On: Denver Nuggets -3.5 (-110)
Today's Free Pick is GB & Chicago Over 40
Winning Way Sports
John's Free NBA Selection for Monday!
Selection: Sacramento Kings +13 (-110)
Las Vegas Sports Investments
Free NBA Selection by Brian Marshall
December 22, 2008
Game: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets
Plays On: Denver Nuggets -3.5 (-110)
RON RAYMOND’S 5* PACKERS VS. BEARS WINNER!
Pick # 1 Green Bay Packers (4.0)
RON RAYMOND’S BOISE ST. VS. SAN DIEGO STATE WINNER!
Pick # 1 Boise State (9.5)
RON RAYMOND’S CREIGHTON VS. FRESNO STATE WINNER!
Pick # 1 Fresno State (12.5 )
RON RAYMOND’S 5* PORTLAND VS. DENVER WINNER!
Pick # 1 Denver Nuggets (-3.5)
RON RAYMOND’S 5* NBA O/U GAME OF THE NIGHT
Pick # 1 Sacramento Kings / San Antonio Spurs Over 198 -110
RON RAYMOND'S 3-GAME NHL PROLINE PICK PACK
Pick # 1 Atlanta Thrashers (-125)
Pick# 2 Buffalo Sabres (-115)
Pick # 3 Anaheim Ducks (125)
Pick # 1 Green Bay Packers (4.0)
RON RAYMOND’S BOISE ST. VS. SAN DIEGO STATE WINNER!
Pick # 1 Boise State (9.5)
RON RAYMOND’S CREIGHTON VS. FRESNO STATE WINNER!
Pick # 1 Fresno State (12.5 )
RON RAYMOND’S 5* PORTLAND VS. DENVER WINNER!
Pick # 1 Denver Nuggets (-3.5)
RON RAYMOND’S 5* NBA O/U GAME OF THE NIGHT
Pick # 1 Sacramento Kings / San Antonio Spurs Over 198 -110
RON RAYMOND'S 3-GAME NHL PROLINE PICK PACK
Pick # 1 Atlanta Thrashers (-125)
Pick# 2 Buffalo Sabres (-115)
Pick # 3 Anaheim Ducks (125)
Robert Ferringo NCAA hoops. Been pretty miserable lately. Enjoy:
2-Unit Play. Take #715 Marquette (-2) over N.C. State (7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #733 Florida Atlantic (+17) over UAB (8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
2-Unit Play. Take #741 Utah (+4.5) over Utah State (9 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #754 USC (-7) over Georgia Tech (10:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #771 Chattanooga (+12.5) over Alabama (7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #749 Boise State (+10.5) over San Diego (10 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #763 DePaul (Pk) over St. Louis (8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
I also have leans on Drexel, San Jose State, Middle Tennessee State and Northeastern.
2-Unit Play. Take #715 Marquette (-2) over N.C. State (7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #733 Florida Atlantic (+17) over UAB (8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
2-Unit Play. Take #741 Utah (+4.5) over Utah State (9 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #754 USC (-7) over Georgia Tech (10:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #771 Chattanooga (+12.5) over Alabama (7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #749 Boise State (+10.5) over San Diego (10 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
1.5-Unit Play. Take #763 DePaul (Pk) over St. Louis (8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22)
I also have leans on Drexel, San Jose State, Middle Tennessee State and Northeastern.
IC's research: looking around for his plays now...
IC Research Report:
3-2 Yesterday:
*Titans +2 over Steelers (Outright W)
*Loyola Maryland +6.5 over UC Davis (Outright W)
*Giants over Panthers (W)
*Mavs/Wizards Over (L)
*Southern Miss/Troy Under (L)
7-1 NFL Run and 3-0 NFL Week.
NFL
Green Bay vs. Chicago
This team comes off a tough loss to Jacksonville who desperately needed that game for morale losing 16-20 on the road. The Packers after covering 5 straight games have now lost four straight covers. Take a look at their latest ATS Stretches here: Before, I forget, this is a HUGE game for the Bears. After all, the Chargers kept their hopes alive of going to the playoffs and defeated the Bucs on the road. Considering that the Falcons are going to go dancing regardless it seems as they not only beat the Bucs at home, but then went on the road to beat the Vikings and host the Rams at home this week, it seems that my Falcons will easily secure themselves a playoff spot as it is a dog fight between the Cowboys, Bucs, Eagles and Bears. And, considering the Bucs, Eagles and Cowboys all stunk it up this past week, it leaves the Bears in a great position if they can just manage to win this game. Now, back to what the Packers have done:
@ Jacksonville: (Loss 16-20)
Houston (Loss 21-24)
Carolina (Loss 31-35)
@ New Orleans (Loss 29-51)
Chicago (Win 37-3)
@ Minnesotta (Loss: 27-28)
@ Tennessee (Loss: 16-19)
Indianapolis (Win: 34-14)
@ Seattle (Win: 27-17)
You can tell the Pack are a team of streaks, but more importantly although this game means a lot to the Bears, they have tons of revenge coming into this game, this is a playoff game in many respects for the Packers b/c they will not be going to the playoffs and would like nothing more than to ruin the Bears' chances of going to the playoffs as well. A lean on the over here.
NBA
Golden State vs. Orlando
Orlando just comes off a huge win over the Lakers and not to be out done the Warriors come off a big win of their own on the road outright over the Bobcats who came into that game playing fairly well. Note, that Jackson and Maggattee or out but that didn't stop this team from being competitive or winning outright at Charlotte. The young guns for GS including CJ Miles, Big A and Bierdrins are getting it done. Regardless, Charlotte even with Okafor does not have an impressive inside presence as the Magic do with Howard. A lean on the young Warriors to keep themselves in with their shooting, but no play.
Sacramento vs. San Antonio
Vegas seems content with placing the line around +12 and +13 for Sacramento as they have figured this is about right for this team against the better teams in the league on the road. After all, this team had a 12 point spread against Houston and got embrrassed on the road after Portland had a team meeting, this team faced a 13 point spread at Houston and barely covered that spread and da 15.5 spread against the Hornets on the road and were able to cover that spread as well. As per this game, the Spurs beat this team by just 2 points on the road back in November but this time they have Manu and Tony Parker back. Since the return of these two fellas, the Spurs have won 7 of their last 9 contests. The Spurs did manage to bounce-back after a tough road trip and cover against Toronto or push at the price of -10. I actually wouldn't be a bit surprised if the Spurs blew this team out today but it is tough to lay the wood down on such a spread like this as the backdoor is possible and it is tough to lay this many points to any nba team.
Portland vs. Denver
It's tough to go against either team here considering Portland is playing some of its best basketball of the year. They face a Denver team who beat them i overtime last year on the road and who also comes off a tough loss to Phoenix on the road. In fact, Denver has missed their last three covers losing to the Rockets on the road, the Cavs at home and now, the Suns on the road who desperately needed to win that game for morale. Tough to go against either team here imo but Denver does need a big win and morale boost at home and the Blazers come off a big win over the Suns at home but it seems that Denver has that one horrible quarter that just absolutely kills this team.
Toronto vs. Clippers
The public is basically split on this game. Note that the Raptors come into this game on a terrible streak. They are just 10-17, have had their coach axed during this process and are 0-4-1 ATS to boot in their last 5 games. It is obvious getting rid of TJ Ford has hurt this team as compared to picking up Jermaine O'Neal. Heck, this team is 10-17, the Clippers themselves have 8 wins this season as they have gotten healthier and consequently playing better basketball. The Clippers come off an ugly 34 point loss to Milwaukee on the road as they return home so I'm certain they will be "up" for this game as that was the last road game before returning home so it was a bit obvious that this team just wanted to go home and was laying down in some respects. I expect a big game here from Davis, Thornton and Randolph as more than likely the Clips cover here but the Raptors will have a bounce-back game at some point but I just don't see it here and possibly they will have it when they return home.
Lakers vs. Memphis
It's always nice to take the Lakers on the bounce-back except for the fact that if you took them on a bounce-back after their loss to Miami you would have lost again. This team has reported to recommitt itself on the defensive front, but I can't imagine that Memphis shoots as bad as they did against Charlotte as this team has to shw some heart at home against the Lakers. A lean on Memphis here a bit as both teams come off tough losses but Memphis in particular comes off an embarrassing loss. A small lean on the over here.
Hawaii Bowl: (Honolulu, Hawaii).
This game is on ESPN and is held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. I remember the day if Hawaii is given as a 1 point favorite or dog at home, folks would jump on them immediately. You have a 6-6 team here in Notre Dame facing a 7-6 team in Hawaii. Notre Dame is a team that is as unpredictable as they come as they are the same team that lost to USC by 35, Syracuse by 1 point at home (or else, they would have been a 7-5 team this year), but also defeated the likes of Navy on the road outright on the road, Stanford at home as well as Purdue, both games they covered easily. Give Hawaii a lot of credit as they nearly defeated Cincy at home falling short 24-29 covering the 7.5 spread. For this team’s credit, Hawaii too played some great games including beating Fresno State on the road, losing to Boise State on the blue turf by just 20 which Fresno State lost by around 50 points and beating Nevada at home. ND has the 74th best offense in the nation with a clear edge as it relates to passing as they are top 50 but around top 100 in rushing and on defense, their strength his team is a top 40 overall defense, 29th in pass defense but around top 70 in rush defense. I actually lean on Hawaii at home but give Notre Dame a lot of credit for winning at Navy and they played teams like Pittsburgh very tough at home who is capable of being the Big East Champs on any given day and nearly beating UNC on the road. No thanks, will stay away from this game.
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Yesterday's Analysis:
Sunday's Analysis: 3-2 (7-3 last 2 NFL Sundays):
Take Tennessee Titans +2 over Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday @ 1pm est) (Outright Winner).
What else more do the Titans have to prove? This team is a twelve win team at home coming off a tough loss to Houston and you better believe this team will be fired up for this game. Of course, the Titans have barely lost any games this season, but in particular, have not lost back to back games. Yes, the Steeles beat the Ravens on the road, but let's be frank, the Steelers had some breaks go their way in that game. The Titans come home after a tough one point loss to Houston and you better believe Jeff Fisher will have his team fired up for this game. Yes, they lost to the Jets at home but that game was a hiccup as Brett Favre can beat anyone on any given day - and remember, Big Ben is no where near dynamic and the Jets then went back home to lose some questionable games themselves. The bottom line here is I like the Titans here at home, coming off a loss against a Steelers team that although I think is sound has a tendency to turn the ball over as I think this is the toughest game the Steelers will have had to play all year as the Titans are healthy as compared to a Ravens team that was a bit banged up. I believe the public gets buried here especially considering the Steelers come off such a public win over the Ravens last week and I see the Titans winning this baby by a field goal when all is said and done.
Loyola Maryland +6.5 (Outright Winner)
I actually have Loyola Maryland as the better team here. I have Loyola as a top 230 team facing a California Davis team that is ranked in the top 250. This team comes out of the scrappy Metro Atlantic and has played some incredibly difficult teams including Boston College, Davidson, Vermont, and top 70 teams in Niagara and Siena. This will serve them well when they play UC Davis. Look, after playing teams like Davidson, BC and Vermont in their house, UC Davis Aggies does not strike the fear of God into this team at 5pm local time. This team has played some difficult teams on the road and is well primed for this game. Once again, this is a game that this team can win outright and we are catching points here. My only regret is not getting this line at +7 but that's ok. We'll fade the public a bit here, ride a team that defeated James Madison, Tennessee State and faces a UC Davis team that comes home after a tough loss to Presbyterian. Loyola Maryland is a team that is 7th in the nation in free throw shooting so that should work to our favor as they shoot 79% from the charity stripe and has a team that runs ten deep and four players that can score in double-figures. Cal does have revenge in this game, but no worries, as I can see a tight game all the way through and I think the points that we catch is significant enough for the cover if not the outright here.
Take NY Giants -3 over Carolina Panthers (Sunday @ 8:15pm est.). (Winner)
This is when the NY Giants step up. This is when they put all the nay-sayers to rest. Look, you don't think NY is used to people doubting them? This is the same team that won 11 games on the road in a row last year. This is the same team that beat the Bucs on the road outright in the playoffs last year when no one though they could, this is the same team that beat the Cowboys outright on the road last year when no one thought they could, this is the same team that beat the Packers on the road last year outright when no one thought they could, and this is the same team that beat the Perfect and Undefeated New England Patriots as double-digit dogs outright when no one thought they could last year. This Giant team has gone through the goodbyes of Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan and now Plexico Burress and they will continue trucking. This team has seen any and all adversity and they continue to plug and chug away. This is a home game. This is in front of their fans. This is the Giants coming off back to back losses to the likes of the Eagles and Cowboys on the road which was a revenge game for Dallas. Tack on the fact that this team plays a Carolina team that is the same team that lost by about 20 points to the Falcons on the road and lost badly to the Bucs on the road, the Giants can step up here big on national television on Sunday Night Football and win this game in a big way. I look for the Giants to take this one home 30-17 and once again a Tom Coughlin coached team puts the nay-sayers to rest again as the Defending Champs show their true colors on Sunday Night Football.
Take Under 55 between Troy @ Southern Miss (Sunday, December 21st@ 8:15pm est). (Loss)
This game is on ESPN and held in the Louisiana Superdome. Both of these teams are solid in many ways including Troy defeating LSU 31-40 and to Troy's credit, they did cover 6 of their last 8 games. Southern Mississippi closed out the year on a solid 4-0 SU run defeating the likes of SMU on the road 28-12, beating East Carolina 21-3, defeated Central Florida on the road 17-6, and heck even defeated UAB 70-14 at home. Troy did finish 6-1 in the conference eventually and 7-4 ATS. Troy finished top 25 in the nation in offense, 32nd in passing, 36th in rushing and 23rd in points scored. Troy on defense has been solid finishing 30th in defense overall, 23rd in passing and 55th in rushing defense overall and 31st in overall points allowed. Southern Miss to their credit is a top 20 offense, ranked 38th in passing, 24th in rushing and 33rd in points scored but has lacked in defense a bit as they are 70th overall, 85th in pass defense, 67th in rush defense and 53rd overall in points allowed. But, I think Southern Miss's defense is a bit understated as they have improved drastically over the past few weeks on defense and I would not be surprised to see this game dip under the posted total. The bottom line here is that Southern Miss's defense is underrated giving up just 12 points to a dynamic offense in SMU on the road, 3 points to East Carolina at home which was amazing and 6 points to Central Florida on the road. To not be out done, Troy has given up 9 points to Arkansas State, 3 points to UL Lafayette, 7 points to Western Kentucky at home and 28 points to Ohio State on the road. Troy is known for their sound defense as well and I look for this game to be a high low scoring contest as both defense hold strong down south. This should be a very physical game as the under is 4-1 when the Trojans are favored by 3 to 10 points of late and the under is 4-0-1 for Southern Miss in their last five bowl contests as well.
Mavericks/Wizards Over 200 (Loss)
I'm like a kid in a candy score when the lines come out as I get so excited to see the lines that I have potentially marked compared to the lines that come out of Vegas. For this game, I have it totaling 210 if not higher. Look, I made a call yesterday on the Nets at home rather than taking the Jazz/Bulls over. That situation actually mirrors this one here. You have a team in the Wizards who just lost at home to the Sixers but managed to put up a 103 points at home. This Wizards team seems to have renewed focus and a fresh face as perennial pansy Gilbert Arenas is not playing once again so this team has to rely on Butler, Jamison and the new guy in town Mike James. What does that mean? It means more than ever this is a perimeter shooting team. Dallas comes off getting embarrassed by their new found rival and trading buddy in the Nets by 20+ and will look to bounce-back here. I look for Dallas to run up to the score if they have an opportunity, Washington to be an active dog as the public is heavily on Dallas an on top of all that, I look for both teams to score over a 100 points as Washington has had no problem putting up points at home. Look for this game to top 210 points here. The over is 21-10 for the Mavs following a straight up loss of more than 10 points and the over is 20-8-1 for the Wizards in their last 29 home games.
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IC Research Report:
3-2 Yesterday:
*Titans +2 over Steelers (Outright W)
*Loyola Maryland +6.5 over UC Davis (Outright W)
*Giants over Panthers (W)
*Mavs/Wizards Over (L)
*Southern Miss/Troy Under (L)
7-1 NFL Run and 3-0 NFL Week.
NFL
Green Bay vs. Chicago
This team comes off a tough loss to Jacksonville who desperately needed that game for morale losing 16-20 on the road. The Packers after covering 5 straight games have now lost four straight covers. Take a look at their latest ATS Stretches here: Before, I forget, this is a HUGE game for the Bears. After all, the Chargers kept their hopes alive of going to the playoffs and defeated the Bucs on the road. Considering that the Falcons are going to go dancing regardless it seems as they not only beat the Bucs at home, but then went on the road to beat the Vikings and host the Rams at home this week, it seems that my Falcons will easily secure themselves a playoff spot as it is a dog fight between the Cowboys, Bucs, Eagles and Bears. And, considering the Bucs, Eagles and Cowboys all stunk it up this past week, it leaves the Bears in a great position if they can just manage to win this game. Now, back to what the Packers have done:
@ Jacksonville: (Loss 16-20)
Houston (Loss 21-24)
Carolina (Loss 31-35)
@ New Orleans (Loss 29-51)
Chicago (Win 37-3)
@ Minnesotta (Loss: 27-28)
@ Tennessee (Loss: 16-19)
Indianapolis (Win: 34-14)
@ Seattle (Win: 27-17)
You can tell the Pack are a team of streaks, but more importantly although this game means a lot to the Bears, they have tons of revenge coming into this game, this is a playoff game in many respects for the Packers b/c they will not be going to the playoffs and would like nothing more than to ruin the Bears' chances of going to the playoffs as well. A lean on the over here.
NBA
Golden State vs. Orlando
Orlando just comes off a huge win over the Lakers and not to be out done the Warriors come off a big win of their own on the road outright over the Bobcats who came into that game playing fairly well. Note, that Jackson and Maggattee or out but that didn't stop this team from being competitive or winning outright at Charlotte. The young guns for GS including CJ Miles, Big A and Bierdrins are getting it done. Regardless, Charlotte even with Okafor does not have an impressive inside presence as the Magic do with Howard. A lean on the young Warriors to keep themselves in with their shooting, but no play.
Sacramento vs. San Antonio
Vegas seems content with placing the line around +12 and +13 for Sacramento as they have figured this is about right for this team against the better teams in the league on the road. After all, this team had a 12 point spread against Houston and got embrrassed on the road after Portland had a team meeting, this team faced a 13 point spread at Houston and barely covered that spread and da 15.5 spread against the Hornets on the road and were able to cover that spread as well. As per this game, the Spurs beat this team by just 2 points on the road back in November but this time they have Manu and Tony Parker back. Since the return of these two fellas, the Spurs have won 7 of their last 9 contests. The Spurs did manage to bounce-back after a tough road trip and cover against Toronto or push at the price of -10. I actually wouldn't be a bit surprised if the Spurs blew this team out today but it is tough to lay the wood down on such a spread like this as the backdoor is possible and it is tough to lay this many points to any nba team.
Portland vs. Denver
It's tough to go against either team here considering Portland is playing some of its best basketball of the year. They face a Denver team who beat them i overtime last year on the road and who also comes off a tough loss to Phoenix on the road. In fact, Denver has missed their last three covers losing to the Rockets on the road, the Cavs at home and now, the Suns on the road who desperately needed to win that game for morale. Tough to go against either team here imo but Denver does need a big win and morale boost at home and the Blazers come off a big win over the Suns at home but it seems that Denver has that one horrible quarter that just absolutely kills this team.
Toronto vs. Clippers
The public is basically split on this game. Note that the Raptors come into this game on a terrible streak. They are just 10-17, have had their coach axed during this process and are 0-4-1 ATS to boot in their last 5 games. It is obvious getting rid of TJ Ford has hurt this team as compared to picking up Jermaine O'Neal. Heck, this team is 10-17, the Clippers themselves have 8 wins this season as they have gotten healthier and consequently playing better basketball. The Clippers come off an ugly 34 point loss to Milwaukee on the road as they return home so I'm certain they will be "up" for this game as that was the last road game before returning home so it was a bit obvious that this team just wanted to go home and was laying down in some respects. I expect a big game here from Davis, Thornton and Randolph as more than likely the Clips cover here but the Raptors will have a bounce-back game at some point but I just don't see it here and possibly they will have it when they return home.
Lakers vs. Memphis
It's always nice to take the Lakers on the bounce-back except for the fact that if you took them on a bounce-back after their loss to Miami you would have lost again. This team has reported to recommitt itself on the defensive front, but I can't imagine that Memphis shoots as bad as they did against Charlotte as this team has to shw some heart at home against the Lakers. A lean on Memphis here a bit as both teams come off tough losses but Memphis in particular comes off an embarrassing loss. A small lean on the over here.
Hawaii Bowl: (Honolulu, Hawaii).
This game is on ESPN and is held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. I remember the day if Hawaii is given as a 1 point favorite or dog at home, folks would jump on them immediately. You have a 6-6 team here in Notre Dame facing a 7-6 team in Hawaii. Notre Dame is a team that is as unpredictable as they come as they are the same team that lost to USC by 35, Syracuse by 1 point at home (or else, they would have been a 7-5 team this year), but also defeated the likes of Navy on the road outright on the road, Stanford at home as well as Purdue, both games they covered easily. Give Hawaii a lot of credit as they nearly defeated Cincy at home falling short 24-29 covering the 7.5 spread. For this team’s credit, Hawaii too played some great games including beating Fresno State on the road, losing to Boise State on the blue turf by just 20 which Fresno State lost by around 50 points and beating Nevada at home. ND has the 74th best offense in the nation with a clear edge as it relates to passing as they are top 50 but around top 100 in rushing and on defense, their strength his team is a top 40 overall defense, 29th in pass defense but around top 70 in rush defense. I actually lean on Hawaii at home but give Notre Dame a lot of credit for winning at Navy and they played teams like Pittsburgh very tough at home who is capable of being the Big East Champs on any given day and nearly beating UNC on the road. No thanks, will stay away from this game.
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Yesterday's Analysis:
Sunday's Analysis: 3-2 (7-3 last 2 NFL Sundays):
Take Tennessee Titans +2 over Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday @ 1pm est) (Outright Winner).
What else more do the Titans have to prove? This team is a twelve win team at home coming off a tough loss to Houston and you better believe this team will be fired up for this game. Of course, the Titans have barely lost any games this season, but in particular, have not lost back to back games. Yes, the Steeles beat the Ravens on the road, but let's be frank, the Steelers had some breaks go their way in that game. The Titans come home after a tough one point loss to Houston and you better believe Jeff Fisher will have his team fired up for this game. Yes, they lost to the Jets at home but that game was a hiccup as Brett Favre can beat anyone on any given day - and remember, Big Ben is no where near dynamic and the Jets then went back home to lose some questionable games themselves. The bottom line here is I like the Titans here at home, coming off a loss against a Steelers team that although I think is sound has a tendency to turn the ball over as I think this is the toughest game the Steelers will have had to play all year as the Titans are healthy as compared to a Ravens team that was a bit banged up. I believe the public gets buried here especially considering the Steelers come off such a public win over the Ravens last week and I see the Titans winning this baby by a field goal when all is said and done.
Loyola Maryland +6.5 (Outright Winner)
I actually have Loyola Maryland as the better team here. I have Loyola as a top 230 team facing a California Davis team that is ranked in the top 250. This team comes out of the scrappy Metro Atlantic and has played some incredibly difficult teams including Boston College, Davidson, Vermont, and top 70 teams in Niagara and Siena. This will serve them well when they play UC Davis. Look, after playing teams like Davidson, BC and Vermont in their house, UC Davis Aggies does not strike the fear of God into this team at 5pm local time. This team has played some difficult teams on the road and is well primed for this game. Once again, this is a game that this team can win outright and we are catching points here. My only regret is not getting this line at +7 but that's ok. We'll fade the public a bit here, ride a team that defeated James Madison, Tennessee State and faces a UC Davis team that comes home after a tough loss to Presbyterian. Loyola Maryland is a team that is 7th in the nation in free throw shooting so that should work to our favor as they shoot 79% from the charity stripe and has a team that runs ten deep and four players that can score in double-figures. Cal does have revenge in this game, but no worries, as I can see a tight game all the way through and I think the points that we catch is significant enough for the cover if not the outright here.
Take NY Giants -3 over Carolina Panthers (Sunday @ 8:15pm est.). (Winner)
This is when the NY Giants step up. This is when they put all the nay-sayers to rest. Look, you don't think NY is used to people doubting them? This is the same team that won 11 games on the road in a row last year. This is the same team that beat the Bucs on the road outright in the playoffs last year when no one though they could, this is the same team that beat the Cowboys outright on the road last year when no one thought they could, this is the same team that beat the Packers on the road last year outright when no one thought they could, and this is the same team that beat the Perfect and Undefeated New England Patriots as double-digit dogs outright when no one thought they could last year. This Giant team has gone through the goodbyes of Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan and now Plexico Burress and they will continue trucking. This team has seen any and all adversity and they continue to plug and chug away. This is a home game. This is in front of their fans. This is the Giants coming off back to back losses to the likes of the Eagles and Cowboys on the road which was a revenge game for Dallas. Tack on the fact that this team plays a Carolina team that is the same team that lost by about 20 points to the Falcons on the road and lost badly to the Bucs on the road, the Giants can step up here big on national television on Sunday Night Football and win this game in a big way. I look for the Giants to take this one home 30-17 and once again a Tom Coughlin coached team puts the nay-sayers to rest again as the Defending Champs show their true colors on Sunday Night Football.
Take Under 55 between Troy @ Southern Miss (Sunday, December 21st@ 8:15pm est). (Loss)
This game is on ESPN and held in the Louisiana Superdome. Both of these teams are solid in many ways including Troy defeating LSU 31-40 and to Troy's credit, they did cover 6 of their last 8 games. Southern Mississippi closed out the year on a solid 4-0 SU run defeating the likes of SMU on the road 28-12, beating East Carolina 21-3, defeated Central Florida on the road 17-6, and heck even defeated UAB 70-14 at home. Troy did finish 6-1 in the conference eventually and 7-4 ATS. Troy finished top 25 in the nation in offense, 32nd in passing, 36th in rushing and 23rd in points scored. Troy on defense has been solid finishing 30th in defense overall, 23rd in passing and 55th in rushing defense overall and 31st in overall points allowed. Southern Miss to their credit is a top 20 offense, ranked 38th in passing, 24th in rushing and 33rd in points scored but has lacked in defense a bit as they are 70th overall, 85th in pass defense, 67th in rush defense and 53rd overall in points allowed. But, I think Southern Miss's defense is a bit understated as they have improved drastically over the past few weeks on defense and I would not be surprised to see this game dip under the posted total. The bottom line here is that Southern Miss's defense is underrated giving up just 12 points to a dynamic offense in SMU on the road, 3 points to East Carolina at home which was amazing and 6 points to Central Florida on the road. To not be out done, Troy has given up 9 points to Arkansas State, 3 points to UL Lafayette, 7 points to Western Kentucky at home and 28 points to Ohio State on the road. Troy is known for their sound defense as well and I look for this game to be a high low scoring contest as both defense hold strong down south. This should be a very physical game as the under is 4-1 when the Trojans are favored by 3 to 10 points of late and the under is 4-0-1 for Southern Miss in their last five bowl contests as well.
Mavericks/Wizards Over 200 (Loss)
I'm like a kid in a candy score when the lines come out as I get so excited to see the lines that I have potentially marked compared to the lines that come out of Vegas. For this game, I have it totaling 210 if not higher. Look, I made a call yesterday on the Nets at home rather than taking the Jazz/Bulls over. That situation actually mirrors this one here. You have a team in the Wizards who just lost at home to the Sixers but managed to put up a 103 points at home. This Wizards team seems to have renewed focus and a fresh face as perennial pansy Gilbert Arenas is not playing once again so this team has to rely on Butler, Jamison and the new guy in town Mike James. What does that mean? It means more than ever this is a perimeter shooting team. Dallas comes off getting embarrassed by their new found rival and trading buddy in the Nets by 20+ and will look to bounce-back here. I look for Dallas to run up to the score if they have an opportunity, Washington to be an active dog as the public is heavily on Dallas an on top of all that, I look for both teams to score over a 100 points as Washington has had no problem putting up points at home. Look for this game to top 210 points here. The over is 21-10 for the Mavs following a straight up loss of more than 10 points and the over is 20-8-1 for the Wizards in their last 29 home games.
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Larry's Revenge GOW
Revenge Game of the Week 15* Utah State
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</td> <td class="datacell">Larry's 8* Western Conf Game of the Month</td></tr></tbody></table>
Western Conf Game of the Month Den Nuggets.
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Oddsmaker's Error on Indiana.
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Jeff Benton
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->10 Dime: PACKERS (plus the points vs. Bears)
5 Dime: GRIZZLIES (plus the points vs. Lakers)
Packers
Here’s what this play comes down to: After what you’ve seen the last two days in the NFL, are you willing to lay points with a team that needs to win to either enhance its playoff chances or save its season? Well, I’m not. Let’s review what happened on Saturday and Sunday:
The Cowboys were a 4½-point home favorite against the Ravens, with Dallas controlling its playoff destiny. Result: Cowboys lose 33-24.
The Steelers were a three-point road favorite at Tennessee, needing a win to basically wrap up home-field advantage in the AFC. Result: Steelers lose 31-14.
The Eagles were a 5½-point road favorite at Washington, with Philly controlling its playoff destiny. Result: Eagles lose 10-3.
The Vikings were a three-point home favorite against the Falcons, needing a win to clinch the NFC North title. Result: Vikings lose 24-17.
The Jets were a four-point road favorite at the lowly Seahawks, needing a win to maintain control of their destiny in the AFC East. Result: Jets lose 13-3.
The Broncos were a 6½-point home favorite against the slumping Bills, needing a win to wrap up the AFC West title. Result: Broncos lose 30-23.
Finally, the Buccaneers were a four-point home favorite against the Chargers, needing a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. Result: Bucs lose 41-24.
That’s right: An astounding seven teams with everything in the world for which to play suffered outright losses as a favorite! And while the Ravens, Titans, Falcons and Chargers also had a lot on the line in their respective games against the Cowboys, Steelers, Vikings and Bucs, the fact is the favorites failed to get the job done in each contest. In fact, favorites went 5-8 SU and 4-9 ATS on Sunday, and the only favorites that came through this week were the Colts (barely won at 5-9 Jacksonville on Thursday), Dolphins (barely won at 2-11 Kansas City), Patriots (routed Arizona in the snow) and Giants (needed a big rally and overtime to knock off Carolina at home).
All of which brings us back to tonight’s game. With the Vikings losing yesterday, the door was left open for the Bears to snatch away the NFC North championship if they can beat the Packers tonight and win at Houston next week and if Minnesota falls at the Giants. And frankly, I’m not convinced Chicago, which has been inconsistent all season, is ready to deal with that pressure. Don’t forget that the Bears, with their backs to the wall in terms of the playoffs, nearly blew that home game to the Saints 10 days ago.
Now, one thing I am convinced of: Green Bay absolutely WILL show up for this game. Yes, the Packers are 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four games, a nosedive that eliminated them from playoff contention. However, the last three losses were by margins of 4, 3 and 4 points, as Green Bay simply failed to hold leads against the Panthers, Texans and Jaguars. And prior to this drought, the Packers had covered in five straight games. Four of those spread-covers were as an underdog. The fifth? A 37-3 demolition of the Bears as a 3½-point home favorite back on Nov. 16. In that game – which also happens to be Green Bay’s only victory in the last seven weeks – the Packers had 427 total yards, Chicago had 234; the Packers had 200 rushing yards, Chicago had 83; the Packers had 24 first downs, Chicago had nine; and the Packers held the ball for 37½ minutes, Chicago had it for 22½ minutes.
Also, despite their recent struggles to cover pointspreads, the Packers are still 13-5-1 ATS in their last 19 games on the road, 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 as a road underdog, and they’ve cashed in all five of their NFC North games this season! As for the Bears, with last week’s lucky push against the Saints, they’re now just 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games as a home favorite and 2-3 ATS against division rivals this year. Oh, and one more thing: Green Bay is 7-2 ATS in its last nine trips to Soldier Field!
Simply put, I believe the Packers are far better than their 5-9 record, but just haven’t had any kind of fourth-quarter luck whatsoever, as six of their last seven defeats have come by four points or less. They also have not been able to stop the run on defense, allowing 138.2 rushing ypg. However, as noted above, they were able to stop Chicago in the first meeting. Also, tonight they catch a break in that Bears rookie RB Matt Forte (64 rushing yards in the loss at Green Bay) is questionable with an injury.
Bottom line: If I thought for a second that the Packers were going to lay down in this game, I wouldn’t touch ‘em with a 10-foot pole. But there’s no doubt in my mind that Green Bay will come to play and would love nothing more than to put a nail in their archrival’s season. And with the way the Packers thumped the Bears five weeks ago, and with the way NFL favorites have fared this week, I have to take the points.
Was hot last week, very poor this last weekend.
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<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->10 Dime: PACKERS (plus the points vs. Bears)
5 Dime: GRIZZLIES (plus the points vs. Lakers)
Packers
Here’s what this play comes down to: After what you’ve seen the last two days in the NFL, are you willing to lay points with a team that needs to win to either enhance its playoff chances or save its season? Well, I’m not. Let’s review what happened on Saturday and Sunday:
The Cowboys were a 4½-point home favorite against the Ravens, with Dallas controlling its playoff destiny. Result: Cowboys lose 33-24.
The Steelers were a three-point road favorite at Tennessee, needing a win to basically wrap up home-field advantage in the AFC. Result: Steelers lose 31-14.
The Eagles were a 5½-point road favorite at Washington, with Philly controlling its playoff destiny. Result: Eagles lose 10-3.
The Vikings were a three-point home favorite against the Falcons, needing a win to clinch the NFC North title. Result: Vikings lose 24-17.
The Jets were a four-point road favorite at the lowly Seahawks, needing a win to maintain control of their destiny in the AFC East. Result: Jets lose 13-3.
The Broncos were a 6½-point home favorite against the slumping Bills, needing a win to wrap up the AFC West title. Result: Broncos lose 30-23.
Finally, the Buccaneers were a four-point home favorite against the Chargers, needing a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. Result: Bucs lose 41-24.
That’s right: An astounding seven teams with everything in the world for which to play suffered outright losses as a favorite! And while the Ravens, Titans, Falcons and Chargers also had a lot on the line in their respective games against the Cowboys, Steelers, Vikings and Bucs, the fact is the favorites failed to get the job done in each contest. In fact, favorites went 5-8 SU and 4-9 ATS on Sunday, and the only favorites that came through this week were the Colts (barely won at 5-9 Jacksonville on Thursday), Dolphins (barely won at 2-11 Kansas City), Patriots (routed Arizona in the snow) and Giants (needed a big rally and overtime to knock off Carolina at home).
All of which brings us back to tonight’s game. With the Vikings losing yesterday, the door was left open for the Bears to snatch away the NFC North championship if they can beat the Packers tonight and win at Houston next week and if Minnesota falls at the Giants. And frankly, I’m not convinced Chicago, which has been inconsistent all season, is ready to deal with that pressure. Don’t forget that the Bears, with their backs to the wall in terms of the playoffs, nearly blew that home game to the Saints 10 days ago.
Now, one thing I am convinced of: Green Bay absolutely WILL show up for this game. Yes, the Packers are 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four games, a nosedive that eliminated them from playoff contention. However, the last three losses were by margins of 4, 3 and 4 points, as Green Bay simply failed to hold leads against the Panthers, Texans and Jaguars. And prior to this drought, the Packers had covered in five straight games. Four of those spread-covers were as an underdog. The fifth? A 37-3 demolition of the Bears as a 3½-point home favorite back on Nov. 16. In that game – which also happens to be Green Bay’s only victory in the last seven weeks – the Packers had 427 total yards, Chicago had 234; the Packers had 200 rushing yards, Chicago had 83; the Packers had 24 first downs, Chicago had nine; and the Packers held the ball for 37½ minutes, Chicago had it for 22½ minutes.
Also, despite their recent struggles to cover pointspreads, the Packers are still 13-5-1 ATS in their last 19 games on the road, 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 as a road underdog, and they’ve cashed in all five of their NFC North games this season! As for the Bears, with last week’s lucky push against the Saints, they’re now just 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games as a home favorite and 2-3 ATS against division rivals this year. Oh, and one more thing: Green Bay is 7-2 ATS in its last nine trips to Soldier Field!
Simply put, I believe the Packers are far better than their 5-9 record, but just haven’t had any kind of fourth-quarter luck whatsoever, as six of their last seven defeats have come by four points or less. They also have not been able to stop the run on defense, allowing 138.2 rushing ypg. However, as noted above, they were able to stop Chicago in the first meeting. Also, tonight they catch a break in that Bears rookie RB Matt Forte (64 rushing yards in the loss at Green Bay) is questionable with an injury.
Bottom line: If I thought for a second that the Packers were going to lay down in this game, I wouldn’t touch ‘em with a 10-foot pole. But there’s no doubt in my mind that Green Bay will come to play and would love nothing more than to put a nail in their archrival’s season. And with the way the Packers thumped the Bears five weeks ago, and with the way NFL favorites have fared this week, I have to take the points.
Was hot last week, very poor this last weekend.
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<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="85%" height="100%">Johnny Guild
Houston Rockets at New Jersey Nets
The Rockets have won five of their last six games overall. Meanwhile, the struggling Nets have dropped five of its last seven straight-up and against the spread. Go with the Rockets to continue their dominance over the Nets. Houston has won and covered the last four meetings, eight of the last 10 and has taken the last five clashes at New Jersey, 5-0 ATS.
Houston Rockets -5
Marquette Golden Eagles -2
Oklahoma Sooners -17.5
Indiana Hoosiers -2
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Houston Rockets at New Jersey Nets
The Rockets have won five of their last six games overall. Meanwhile, the struggling Nets have dropped five of its last seven straight-up and against the spread. Go with the Rockets to continue their dominance over the Nets. Houston has won and covered the last four meetings, eight of the last 10 and has taken the last five clashes at New Jersey, 5-0 ATS.
Houston Rockets -5
Marquette Golden Eagles -2
Oklahoma Sooners -17.5
Indiana Hoosiers -2
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Gina
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears need this win against their division rival Green Bay Packers to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Go with the Bears at Soldier Field. The struggling Packers have lost four straight, going 0-4 ATS. The home team in this series has won and covered the spread in the last two meetings.
Chicago Bears -4
Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have dropped three straight games, but the rested Trail Blazers have had problems at the Pepsi Center. Portland has dropped nine of their last 10 games against the Nuggets in Denver. Should be a close battle, but Portland is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games, 0-5 ATS on the road. Take the Nuggets at home.
Denver Nuggets -3½
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears need this win against their division rival Green Bay Packers to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Go with the Bears at Soldier Field. The struggling Packers have lost four straight, going 0-4 ATS. The home team in this series has won and covered the spread in the last two meetings.
Chicago Bears -4
Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have dropped three straight games, but the rested Trail Blazers have had problems at the Pepsi Center. Portland has dropped nine of their last 10 games against the Nuggets in Denver. Should be a close battle, but Portland is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games, 0-5 ATS on the road. Take the Nuggets at home.
Denver Nuggets -3½
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Marquette -2
Ga Southern +22.5
Tenn St +23.5
Denver -3.5
Edmonton -135
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Marquette -2
Ga Southern +22.5
Tenn St +23.5
Denver -3.5
Edmonton -135
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