Joseph D'Amico
Auburn vs. South Carolina
Play: South Carolina -10..5
Steve Spurrier isn't worried about his troubled QB, Stephen Garcia. Spurrier has the luxury of having RB Marcus Lattimore, who leads the SEC with 611 YR and 8 TDs. Lattimore will overpower the young and inexperienced Auburn "D" that ranks dead last in rush defense, allowing 227 YPG on the ground. Auburn is 3-1 SU while South Carolina is 4-0 , averaging 36.5 PPG. Auburn beat South Carolina twice LY and the Gamecocks have not forgotten theat. South Carolina faced a better class of opponents and is better prepared here. The Tigers allowed 624 yards to Clemson and 143 first half yards to FAU. The Gamecock's held Vandy to just 77 total points. South Carolina is 4-1 ATS their L5 overall while the Tigers are 2-6 ATS their L8 as a road 'dog. Take South Carolina.
Auburn vs. South Carolina
Play: South Carolina -10..5
Steve Spurrier isn't worried about his troubled QB, Stephen Garcia. Spurrier has the luxury of having RB Marcus Lattimore, who leads the SEC with 611 YR and 8 TDs. Lattimore will overpower the young and inexperienced Auburn "D" that ranks dead last in rush defense, allowing 227 YPG on the ground. Auburn is 3-1 SU while South Carolina is 4-0 , averaging 36.5 PPG. Auburn beat South Carolina twice LY and the Gamecocks have not forgotten theat. South Carolina faced a better class of opponents and is better prepared here. The Tigers allowed 624 yards to Clemson and 143 first half yards to FAU. The Gamecock's held Vandy to just 77 total points. South Carolina is 4-1 ATS their L5 overall while the Tigers are 2-6 ATS their L8 as a road 'dog. Take South Carolina.
Lines2Win
#120 Temple -8 (3 Units) - Temple appears to be the real deal. 4-0 now both SU and ATS, against good competition. They have turned us into believers. The key though is the defense, they have only surrendered 31 points in 4 games. Toledo is just plain overmatched. They kept it close against Boise until Boise pulled away late. We expect the line to move don't let it go over -9.5.
#137 Cincinatti -15 (2 Units) - Cincinatti continues to thrive even after Brian Kelley's exit. As Notre Dame struggles to find its place, Cincinatti's scoring prowess has propelled them. Tennessee got the better of them but they bounced back nicely taking care of NC ST in their most recent game. Miami of Ohio started the year well against Missouri but have tailed off losing a close one to Minnesota and then Bowling Green. Cincinatti has too much firepower to lose this one, don't let the line reach -17.
#141 Texas Tech -6.5 (2 Units) - Texas Tech is 3-0 to start the season but haven't really earned a strong victory. Nevada gave them an unexpected run for their money last time out. Kansas can chuck it up there with the best of them but if this game goes to a shootout, which we expect it to, then Tech will maintain the advantage and win this one easily. Get the -6.5 while its still available but we expect this one to rise also.
#157 Marshall +11 (2 Units) - Marshall comes into this one 1-3 Straight up but 3-1 Against the spread. They have gotten some bad breaks in their losses. The team is better that what their record is showing. Louisville hasn't shown the ability to put teams away thus far this season. The +11 is way much according to our calculations and we can see Marshall even winning this one outright.
#169 Baylor -3.5 (3 Units) - Kstate is flying high after their recent upset of the Canes. The Hurricanes however had many personal issues in that game. Baylor is clearly more talented. Kstate will not be able to contain Robert Griffin and we have Baylor winning this one by at least 2 TD's on the road.
#120 Temple -8 (3 Units) - Temple appears to be the real deal. 4-0 now both SU and ATS, against good competition. They have turned us into believers. The key though is the defense, they have only surrendered 31 points in 4 games. Toledo is just plain overmatched. They kept it close against Boise until Boise pulled away late. We expect the line to move don't let it go over -9.5.
#137 Cincinatti -15 (2 Units) - Cincinatti continues to thrive even after Brian Kelley's exit. As Notre Dame struggles to find its place, Cincinatti's scoring prowess has propelled them. Tennessee got the better of them but they bounced back nicely taking care of NC ST in their most recent game. Miami of Ohio started the year well against Missouri but have tailed off losing a close one to Minnesota and then Bowling Green. Cincinatti has too much firepower to lose this one, don't let the line reach -17.
#141 Texas Tech -6.5 (2 Units) - Texas Tech is 3-0 to start the season but haven't really earned a strong victory. Nevada gave them an unexpected run for their money last time out. Kansas can chuck it up there with the best of them but if this game goes to a shootout, which we expect it to, then Tech will maintain the advantage and win this one easily. Get the -6.5 while its still available but we expect this one to rise also.
#157 Marshall +11 (2 Units) - Marshall comes into this one 1-3 Straight up but 3-1 Against the spread. They have gotten some bad breaks in their losses. The team is better that what their record is showing. Louisville hasn't shown the ability to put teams away thus far this season. The +11 is way much according to our calculations and we can see Marshall even winning this one outright.
#169 Baylor -3.5 (3 Units) - Kstate is flying high after their recent upset of the Canes. The Hurricanes however had many personal issues in that game. Baylor is clearly more talented. Kstate will not be able to contain Robert Griffin and we have Baylor winning this one by at least 2 TD's on the road.
The Sports Network
Mississippi State (2-2) at Georgia (2-2)
DATE & TIME: October 1st, 12:00 p.m. (et)
FACTS & STATS: Site: Sanford Stadium (86,117) -- Athens, Georgia. Television: FSN. Home Record: Mississippi State 1-1, Georgia 1-1. Away Record: Mississippi State 1-1, Georgia 1-0. Neutral Record: Mississippi State 0-0, Georgia 0-1. Conference Record: Mississippi State 0-2, Georgia 1-1. Series Record: Georgia leads, 16-6.
GAME NOTES: Two packs of SEC Bulldogs will do battle at Sanford Stadium in Athens this weekend, as Georgia entertains Mississippi State.
Since beating up on Memphis in the season opener, Mississippi State has clearly struggled. The team dropped back-to-back league affairs to Auburn and LSU before needing overtime to sneak past Louisiana Tech at home last week by a 26-20 final. Head coach Dan Mullen is fully aware that an 0-3 start to conference play would be impossible to overcome, so a victory this weekend is vital.
As for the other Bulldogs, Georgia got off to an 0-2 start, but the two losses came against outstanding opponents in Boise State and South Carolina. Fortunately for Mark Richt, his team has bounced back with two straight wins to even its overall record. Last week's win over Ole Miss on the road by a 27-13 final evened the Dawgs' SEC record at 1-1.
Georgia owns a 16-6 series advantage over Mississippi State, but MSU won last season's matchup by a 24-12 final.
Mississippi State put up huge offensive numbers in the season opener, but the club hasn't been nearly as explosive since. The Bulldogs, who are averaging 31.2 ppg and 427.2 total ypg, pick up over 200 ypg both on the ground and through the air. Vick Ballard is the offense's best player, as the tailback has run for 407 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 7.0 ypc. As for quarterback Chris Relf, he has completed 58 percent of his passes for 657 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Opponents are posting 23.5 ppg and 359.8 total ypg against a Mississippi State defense that can best be described as mediocre. The Bulldogs have come up with eight takeaways, including five interceptions, but they have yielded nine touchdowns to opposing offenses.
Last week against Louisiana Tech, Relf threw a 17-yard touchdown pass in overtime to claim the victory. Touchdowns were hard to come by for the MSU offense, as an 11-yard scoring scamper by Ballard in the second quarter marked the only time that the unit reached paydirt all afternoon. The only other regulation touchdown by Mississippi State came on an 82-yard punt return by Chad Bumphis.
MSU certainly could have played better defensively against Louisiana Tech, which finished with 359 total yards despite seemingly being outclassed in regard to overall team skill. To the credit of coach Mullen's team, however, it did notch three key takeaways.
Switching focus to Georgia, it continues to own Ole Miss, as last week's triumph over Ole Miss was the ninth straight for the program over the Rebels. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray continues to shine, as he threw a pair of touchdowns against the Rebels and finished with 268 yards through the air. Highly regarded freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell proved to be a workhorse, carrying the ball 30 times for 147 yards in the victory.
Sure, the Georgia offense played well in that win, but the team's defense was even better. The Bulldogs limited the Rebels to 183 total yards, including 34 rushing yards on 26 carries. The pass defense was tremendous as well, as Ole Miss was only able to completed 12-of-30 attempts.
Georgia is racking up 37.2 ppg this season while gaining 438.5 total ypg. Murray has been tremendous, connecting on 63.6 percent of his throws for 940 yards and 11 touchdowns against three interceptions. Malcolm Mitchell paces a balanced group of receivers with 252 yards on 17 catches, while Crowell has run for 411 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Bulldogs are permitting 23.2 ppg and 270.0 total ypg, having yielded five rushing touchdowns and five passing scores. Georgia is allowing 3.7 yards per rushing attempt and a mere 9.2 yards per pass completion. It is certainly worth noting that the team has notched six interceptions to date, four of which have come from secondary standout Bacarri Rambo.
Give a narrow edge to Georgia in this game based solely on the home field advantage. Coach Richt's team can run and throw effectively, so a better offensive effort can be expected than what we saw last season when these two teams met.
Georgia 27 Mississippi State 20
Penn State (3-1) at Indiana (1-3)
DATE & TIME: October 1st, 12:00 p.m. (et)
FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Stadium (52,354) -- Bloomington, Indiana. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Penn State 2-1, Indiana 1-1. Away Record: Penn State 1-0, Indiana 0-1. Neutral Record: Penn State 0-0, Indiana 0-1. Conference Record: Penn State 0-0, Indiana 0-0. Series Record: Penn State leads, 14-0.
GAME NOTES: The Penn State Nittany Lions travel to Bloomington for this weekend's Big Ten opener against the Indiana Hoosiers, a team Joe Paterno's club has never lost to.
Penn State is 14-0 all-time against Indiana, and the Nittany Lions cruised past the Hoosiers last season by a 41-24 final.
The Nittany Lions come into Big Ten play with a 3-1 record after winning their last two outings. Most recently, the club crushed Eastern Michigan as expected by a 34-6 final. The lone loss came to Alabama, one of the nation's truly elite teams.
As for Indiana, it has managed just one victory thus far, and that triumph came over South Carolina State, an FCS opponent. The three losses thus far have come by a total of 13 points, including a 24-21 setback at North Texas last weekend.
Through four games, Penn State has scored an even 100 points, giving the club an average of 25.0 ppg. The Nittany Lions are generating 346.5 total ypg and are led by the quarterback duo of Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin. Bolden has only completed 46.5 percent of his passes with one touchdown and three interceptions, while McGloin, although less mobile, has hit 63 percent of his throws with three scores and no picks.
Derek Moye paces the Penn State receivers with 20 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns, while Silas Redd has rushed for 303 yards and four scores to pace the ground attack.
Against Eastern Michigan, Penn State registered four touchdowns, all through the air, and totaled 468 yards of offense. McGloin was a surgical 14-of-17 for 220 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Moye had two receiving scores, while Devon Smith racked up 104 yards and a touchdown on three catches.
While the Penn State offense is rather mediocre by most accounts, the team's defense is certainly the stronger of the two units. The Nittany Lions are holding foes to 12.5 ppg while permitting a mere 249.0 total ypg. They have already generated nine turnovers, including five interceptions, and are limiting opponents to 2.8 yards per carry.
Maintaining those numbers will be difficult, however, as Penn State starting outside linebacker Michael Mauti will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a serious knee injury in last Saturday's victory over Eastern Michigan. A pre-season First Team All-Big Ten choice and Butkus Award candidate, Mauti entered the Eastern Michigan game with a team-high 20 tackles and tied for the team lead with three TFL.
In last week's game, the defense permitted just two field goals, both of which came in the fourth quarter. PSU allowed a meager 270 total yards to Eastern Michigan and came up with three takeaways.
Challenging the Penn State defense this week will be Indiana, which is generating 27.5 ppg and 413.8 total ypg. The Hoosiers have struggled a bit to run the ball consistently, as they are gaining a mere 3.5 yards per carry. That puts added pressure on sophomore quarterback Edward Wright-Baker to carry the offensive load. Wright-Baker has connected on 62 percent of his passes for 925 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions, but he does have stiff competition from backup Dusty Kiel.
Keep an eye on Kofi Hughes and Duwyce Wilson, a pair of big-play receivers with two touchdowns apiece. Last week against North Texas, both pass catchers scored, only it wasn't Wright-Baker who delivered those scoring strikes. He was replaced by Kiel, who led a late rally that almost prevented the disappointing defeat. It will be interesting to see if both quarterbacks play this weekend.
Opponents are posting 26.5 ppg and 386.8 total ypg against Indiana, which has yielded 12 touchdowns to opposing offenses. The Hoosiers are giving up 189.8 rushing ypg while allowing 12.3 yards per pass completion. Jeff Thomas paces the Hoosier defense with 31 total tackles, including four TFL.
Indiana allowed 427 total yards to North Texas, including 226 on the ground. Sure, the Hoosiers came up with three takeaways, but the overall defensive effort wasn't good enough to avoid defeat.
Although Indiana has the obvious advantage of playing this game at home, Penn State is the better of the two teams and will get the job done. Expect a solid defensive performance by the Nittany Lions, who will hold the Hoosiers in check.
Penn State 28 Indiana 13
Norm Hitzges
DOUBLE PLAYS:
·******** Virginia Tech -7 Clemson
·******** Alabama***** -4 Florida
*SINGLE PLAYS:**
·******** W. Michigan* +2 1/2 Uconn
·******** Ohio************ -16 1/2 Kent State
·******** Michigan St.* +3****** Ohio State
·******** Louisiana Tech -4***** Hawaii
·******** E. Carolina***** +6***** N. Carolina
·******** Troy************* -16 1/2* UAB
·******** Oregon State* +18 1/2 Arizona St.
·******** Baylor********** -3 1/2*** Kansas St.
·******** Iowa State**** +9 1/2** Texas
·******** Texas Tech**** -6 1/2** Kansas
DOUBLE PLAYS:
·******** Virginia Tech -7 Clemson
·******** Alabama***** -4 Florida
*SINGLE PLAYS:**
·******** W. Michigan* +2 1/2 Uconn
·******** Ohio************ -16 1/2 Kent State
·******** Michigan St.* +3****** Ohio State
·******** Louisiana Tech -4***** Hawaii
·******** E. Carolina***** +6***** N. Carolina
·******** Troy************* -16 1/2* UAB
·******** Oregon State* +18 1/2 Arizona St.
·******** Baylor********** -3 1/2*** Kansas St.
·******** Iowa State**** +9 1/2** Texas
·******** Texas Tech**** -6 1/2** Kansas
PITTVIPER SPORTS
MLB PLAYS
2* ROT# 955 - 2:07pm - Arizona Diamondbacks +130 [2 units to win 2.60 units]
2* ROT# 956 - 2:07pm - Arizona/Milwaukee UNDER 7 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 958 - 5:07pm - St. Louis/Philadelphia UNDER 7 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
CFB PLAYS
2* ROT# 190 – 12:20pm - Louisiana State U. Tigers -30.5 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 185 – 8:00pm - North Carolina Tar Heels -6.5 (-115) [2.5 units to win 2.17 units]
2* ROT# 150 – 10:30pm - Stanford Cardinal -21 (-118) [buy half point] [2.5 units to win 2.12 units]
2* ROT# 162 – 3:30pm - Arizona/Southern California UNDER 57 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 185 – 8:00pm - North Carolina/East Carolina OVER 60 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 192 – 8:00pm - Notre Dame/Purdue UNDER 48 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
MLB PLAYS
2* ROT# 955 - 2:07pm - Arizona Diamondbacks +130 [2 units to win 2.60 units]
2* ROT# 956 - 2:07pm - Arizona/Milwaukee UNDER 7 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 958 - 5:07pm - St. Louis/Philadelphia UNDER 7 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
CFB PLAYS
2* ROT# 190 – 12:20pm - Louisiana State U. Tigers -30.5 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 185 – 8:00pm - North Carolina Tar Heels -6.5 (-115) [2.5 units to win 2.17 units]
2* ROT# 150 – 10:30pm - Stanford Cardinal -21 (-118) [buy half point] [2.5 units to win 2.12 units]
2* ROT# 162 – 3:30pm - Arizona/Southern California UNDER 57 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 185 – 8:00pm - North Carolina/East Carolina OVER 60 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
2* ROT# 192 – 8:00pm - Notre Dame/Purdue UNDER 48 (-110) [2.5 units to win 2.27 units]
BOOKIE BEATING-RON CLEARY
5 unit - Indiana +15
5 unit - Kansas State +3.5
5 unit - Washington +10
10 unit - Alabama -180 (ML play)
BOOKIE BEATING-CLAYTON RODGERS
5 unit - Marshall +11
5 unit - Arizona +12.5
5 unit - SMU +13
5 unit - Clemson +7
5 unit - Norte Dame -12
BOOKIE BEATING-DAVID HARPER
5 unit - Western Michigan +3
5 unit - Kent State @ Ohio - Over 46
5 unit - Nebraska @ Wisconsin - Over 55
5 unit - Indiana +15
5 unit - Kansas State +3.5
5 unit - Washington +10
10 unit - Alabama -180 (ML play)
BOOKIE BEATING-CLAYTON RODGERS
5 unit - Marshall +11
5 unit - Arizona +12.5
5 unit - SMU +13
5 unit - Clemson +7
5 unit - Norte Dame -12
BOOKIE BEATING-DAVID HARPER
5 unit - Western Michigan +3
5 unit - Kent State @ Ohio - Over 46
5 unit - Nebraska @ Wisconsin - Over 55
