Kelso
New Mexico Bowl
10 Units
Arizona (-9) over Nevada
1:00 PM -- Gildan New Mexico Bowl - University Stadium, Albuq
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Arizona (7-5) -9 over Nevada (7-5)
Prediction: Arizona by 14-17
Played in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Played at University Stadium (38,000) Grass
Weather: Cloudy, chance of light snow, game-time temperature in high 30s to low 40s, wind out of the southeast at 12 miles per hour.
Starting Time: 1:05
TV: ESPN
Comments: Nevada is a university located off the main football roads of the country and traditionally produces powerful teams that usually ambush a major opponent or two each season. Unfortunately for the Wolfpack, this is a major rebuilding year and the team ran out of gas at the mid-way points of the season. After opening 6-1 against teams that made up a very soft schedule—California (3-9), South Florida (3-9) I-AA Northwestern State (4-7), Hawaii (3-9), Texas State (4-8), Wyoming (4-8) and UNLV (2-9)—Nevada has gone 1-4, with its only win in those five games, a 31-24, victory over New Mexico (4-9). There is not a single edge Arizona does not have in this game and the Wildcats should get it done.
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing from the Southwest at 10-15 m.p.h. (University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM) Game-time temperature: Near 40.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
50 Units
Utah State (-10½) over Toledo
4:30 PM --
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Utah State (10-2) -10 ½ over Toledo (9-3)
Prediction: Utah State by 17-21
Played in Boise, Idaho
Played at Bronco Stadium (30,000) Artificial Turf
Weather: Cloudy with light rain, game-time temperature in mid-to-high 30s and with no appreciable wind.
Starting Time: 4:35
TV: ESPN
Comments: Both teams deserve a lot of respect from those who appreciate good football and I am certain both will bring their “A” games for this one. That said, the edge for a dominating win has to go to Utah State—a team that is nothing like the college whipping boy squads of the past who played an outrageously strong non-conference schedule just to make money. Fourth-year coach Gary Anderson has methodically built the Aggies into a big-time football team, something illustrated by the fact its two losses this season came at Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin, 16-14, when it missed a last-second field goal, and at Poinsettia Bowl participate BYU, 6-3. In other words Utah State came with five points of going 12-0. Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks and outstanding running backs but Utah State has a dramatically superior defense—one that plays in lockdown fashion and is ranked 8th of 124 NCAA teams against the score, giving up just 15.4 points per game, and 15th in total defense, surrendering 322.y yards per game. The bottom line: Utah State can stop Toledo’s high-octane offense but the Rockets do not appear to have the weapons to slowdown the Aggies.
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing from the Southeast at 5-10 m.p.h. (Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID) Game-time temperature: Near 40.
Best Bets Club Basketball
10 Units
Indiana (-11½) over Butler
2:00 PM -- Bankers Life Fieldhnouse - Indianapolis, IN
Indiana (9-0) -11 ½ over Butler (7-2)
Prediction: Indiana by 16-17
Played in Indianapolis on neutral floor at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,165)
Starting Time: 2:05
TV: CBS
Comments: The best team in college basketball just got better and that spells even more trouble for a talented Butler team. I noted earlier in the season Indiana may well be the best college basketball team I have seen in decades and nothing has happened to change my mind, Even though the Hoosiers have opened 9-0 and have won those games by an average of 31.7 points per game, they have been doing it short-handed after the NCAA suspended two blue-chip, ready-to-play freshmen for the first nine games. The two freshmen—6-8 forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and 7-0 center Peter Jurkin—will be in uniform today and will play. Mosquera-Perea, a native of Columbia played last season at La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Indiana, and graduated as the 9th best power forward in the country. Jurkin, from Juba, South Sudan, Africa, played last season at United Faith Christian Academy in North Carolina, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. None of these means Butler will not bring it’s “A” game but Indiana has too much blue-chip talent, is too athletic, too quick and too fast for Butler. The Bulldogs have signature wins at Northwestern, 74-65, over North Carolina, 82-71, and Marquette, 72-71, on a neutral floor. The only common opponent they have faced this season is North Carolina, which Indiana beat by 24 points, 83-59, in Bloomington. The figures say Indiana is the real deal and simply has too much talent and a dramatically superior defense for Butler to handle.
Best Bets Club Basketball
10 Units
Kansas State (+9½) over Gonzaga
9:00 PM -- Key Arena - Seattle, WA
Kansas State (7-1) +9 ½ over Gonzaga (9-1)
Prediction: Gonzaga by 3-4
Played in Seattle on neutral floor at Key Arena (14,538)
Starting Time: 9:05
TV: ESPN2
Comments: Gonzaga comes into this game in major bounce-back form, having lost its last game to undefeated Illinois, 85-74, on its home court in Spokane. It was but the eighth loss the Bulldogs have suffered there in the past eight years. Despite being in the bounce-back mode, Gonzaga leaves its comfort zone and meets a talented Kansas State team that has lost only at undefeated Michigan, 71-57, on a neutral site in Seattle. That makes the 9 ½ a big number that favors Kansas State. This one boils down to one element—an outstanding offense facing at outstanding defense. Gonzaga leads the nation in field-goal shooting percentages (52.7), sixth in rebound margin (+11.8), eighth in scoring margin (21.3) and 10th in scoring offense (82.7). Kansas State brings the defense, ranked second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (22.2) 13th in scoring defense (54.6), 15th in rebound margin (+10.4) and 32nd in field goal percentage defense (37.4). When two good teams meet on a neutral floor, defense prevails and I do believe that will be the case here.
Best Bets Club Basketball
10 Units
Florida (-2½) over Arizona
10:00 PM -- McKale Center
Florida (7-0) -2 ½ over ARIZONA (7-0)
Prediction: Florida by 6-7
Played in Tucson a McKale Center (14,538)
Starting Time: 10:05
TV: ESPN
Comments: There was never any question Florida would again field a formidable team but until now we did not know just how good the Gators would be. Now, we know. The Gators went to Tallahassee in their last game and absolutely destroyed a good Florida State team, 72-47, and that win speaks loudly to just how good this team is. Florida will definitely have its hands full in Tucson tonight but should get the job done on the strength of the nation’s second best defense—one that gives up just 48.3 points per game—while limiting teams to a shooting percentage of 34.9 (8th best). It is of note Florida has thus far played what the NCAA’s RPI ratings say is the 23rd toughest schedule in the country, also beating the likes of Marquette, 82-49, Middle Tennessee, 66-45, and Wisconsin, 74-56. My figures say Arizona is good enough, but not quite up to beating the Gators, even while playing on their home court in Tucson.