Wednesday 12/23/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Wednesday, December 23 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Maybe it's a good thing that the Chicago Bulls have three days off ahead of their Christmas Day game in Oklahoma City. Things aren't right with that team right now as Chicago is on a three-game losing streak -- no excuse for losing at home to Brooklyn on Monday -- and Jimmy Butler is already calling out rookie head coach Fred Hoiberg for not being hard enough on the guys. So basically calling him out for not being Tom Thibodeau, who was roundly criticized for riding his guys too hard. I have a feeling that if Hoiberg was given the chance over again, he would have stayed at Iowa State this year, a national title contender, and waited for a different NBA gig. With Derrick Rose a shell of his former All-Star self, the Bulls aren't a threat in the East. Hoiberg isn't in any trouble as he was handpicked by the front office and given a five-year deal. And Butler's not going anywhere, either, but the Bulls might have to trade a Pau Gasol or Joakim Noah to get things right and open up more playing time for rookie Bobby Portis.

Celtics at Hornets (-2.5, 202.5)

Boston ended a three-game slide with a 113-99 win over Minnesota on Monday. David Lee had 13 points and eight boards off the bench. I mention Lee because he hasn't been used all that much and reports are that the Celtics have put him on the trade block. Forwards Amir Johnson (plantar fasciitis) and Jared Sullinger (back spasms) were sidelined. Thus, Lee got a rare start. Charlotte lost in Houston on Monday 102-95 for its second straight defeat. The Hornets shot only 34.9 percent. Al Jefferson remained out due to suspension. He won't play here. Boston won in Charlotte 98-93 on Dec. 12. Avery Bradley had 23 points and Isaiah Thomas 21 points and 13 assists. The Celtics have now won three straight in the series.

Key trends: The Celtics are 5-2 against the spread in the past seven meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in six of the past seven meetings in Charlotte.

Early lean: Celtics and under.

Knicks at Cavaliers (TBA)

New York's four-game winning streak was snapped in a 107-99 home loss to Orlando on Monday as the Knicks blew a chance to get over .500. Lance Thomas was 9-for-9 for a career-high 24 points. Carmelo Anthony added 23 but tweaked his ankle in the second half, and there's a chance he won't play here, although you know he wants to go against LeBron James. The Cavaliers finally have their three All-Stars all on the court together after Kyrie Irving debuted Sunday in a destruction of Philadelphia. He had 12 points in 17 minutes. He will obviously be on a minutes restriction for a while off knee surgery. The Cavs have won three straight in this series, including 90-84 in New York on Nov. 13.

Key trends: The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 5-0 in those five.

Early lean: Obviously TBA for Melo. If Knicks get double-digit points here, I'd probably take them. Cavs might be looking ahead to big showdown with Warriors.

Kings at Pacers (-7, 211.5)

Sacramento lost in Washington 113-99 on Monday. DeMarcus Cousins was vastly outplayed by Marcin Gortat. That was the second of a back-to-back for the Kings, and they are now 0-7 in those situations. Indiana lost in San Antonio by 14 on Monday for its second straight loss. Paul George was held to a season-low seven points by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard. The Kings swept the Pacers last year.

Key trends: The Kings have covered five of the past eight in Indiana. The over is 5-1 in the past six overall.

Early lean: Kings and over.

Rockets at Magic (-2.5, 208.5)

First of an NBA TV doubleheader and thus should have live betting at sportsbooks. Houston won a third straight Monday, 102-95 against Charlotte. James Harden had 36 points. The team played a second straight game without suspended guard Ty Lawson. He will be back here but has fallen out of favor and Houston is trying to deal him. Orlando won by eight in New York on Monday for its fourth win in the past five. However, point guard Elfrid Payton didn't play in the second half with an ankle injury so monitor his status here. Expect plenty of jeers for Dwight Howard as he returns to central Florida. Just another city he made hate him for whining his way out. Houston beat Orlando 119-114 in OT on Nov. 4. Howard was good then with 23 points and 14 rebounds. The Rockets have won six of the past seven meetings.

Key trends: Houston is 2-10 ATS in the past 12 meetings. The over is 5-1 in Orlando's past six following a win.

Early lean: Magic and under.

Grizzlies at Wizards (TBA)

Memphis was in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Washington won a second straight Monday, 113-99 over the Kings. John Wall had a career-high 19 assists -- he did get hit on the ribs late -- and Marcin Gortat went off with 27 points and 16 rebounds. Garrett Temple added a career-high 23 points. The Wizards were without six injured players, including Bradley Beal, Otto Porter and Nene. Maybe Porter plays here. Washington lost in Memphis 112-95 on Dec. 14. Marc Gasol had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Wall had only six points. Beal missed that one too.

Key trends: The Grizzlies are 4-0 ATS in their past four in the second of a back-to-back. The over is 5-1 in Washington's past six.

Early lean: As long as Wall is in there, Wiz will win this.

Mavericks at Nets (+3, 200)

Dallas was in Toronto on Tuesday. This will be the return of Mavs point guard Deron Williams to Brooklyn. The Nets were so eager to dump Williams this offseason they gave him a buyout worth around $27.5 million. Once he cleared waivers, he quickly signed with the hometown Mavs and actually is having a decent season. Brooklyn ended a five-game skid with a three-point win in Chicago on Monday. Brook Lopez had 21 points and 12 rebounds. These teams split last year, each winning on the road.

Key trends: The road team has covered the past seven meetings. The under is 10-3 in Brooklyn's past 13 vs. the West.

Early lean: Nets and over.

Pistons at Hawks (-6, 202)

Detroit was in Miami on Tuesday. The Hawks won a third in a row Monday, 106-97 over Portland. Interesting moment from that game as Atlanta backup guard Dennis Schroeder lost a tooth after a collision but calmly put it in his sock and kept playing. Paul Millsap returned after tweaking his left ankle and leaving the game. The Pistons have lost seven of the past 11 meetings in this series but won in Atlanta 106-94 on opening night.

Key trends: Atlanta is 1-7 ATS in its past eight vs. the Central Division. The under is 4-1 in the past five meetings in Atlanta.

Early lean: Atlanta and under.

76ers at Bucks (-11, 196)

Philly hosted Memphis on Tuesday. Milwaukee begins life without Coach Jason Kidd as he will be out indefinitely following hip surgery. What is it with injured coaches this year? Kidd likely won't be back on the bench until February. Veteran assistant coach Joe Prunty, who filled in as Milwaukee's head coach when Kidd was suspended for the Bucks' loss at Orlando in late November, will take over. Milwaukee has won seven straight vs. the Sixers, its longest active winning streak against any team. The Bucks won 91-87 at home over Philly on Nov. 4.

Key trends: The Sixers are 1-6 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 9-3 in the past 12 in Milwaukee.

Early lean: Bucks and under.

Spurs at Timberwolves (+9, 197)

San Antonio won a sixth straight Monday, 106-92 over Indiana to close a four-game homestand. Kawhi Leonard had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. It was the Spurs' 21st win this season by double digits. San Antonio is off to the second-best start in franchise history, trailing only the 25-4 record in 2011. Minnesota's two-game winning streak ended in Boston on Monday, 113-99. Celtics fans kept chanting for the Wolves to put Kevin Garnett in the game in perhaps his final trip to Boston, but he didn't play in the second of a back-to-back. Minnesota has lost its last 10 games in Boston. First meeting of the season between these teams, and the Spurs won all four in 2014-15.

Key trends: The Spurs are 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The over is 4-0 in those four.

Early lean: Spurs and over.

Trail Blazers at Pelicans (TBA)

Portland is sinking fast and lost a fourth in a row Monday in Atlanta, 106-97. No shock there as the Blazers' starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum both sat out with injuries. It was the first game Lillard has missed in his career. Someone named Tim Frazier started at point guard and played nearly the full 48 minutes. I doubt you see Lillard or McCollum here. New Orleans won in Denver 130-125 on Sunday. Anthony Davis played through an illness, needed several IVs and had 27 points. Portland has won both meetings this season and now seven straight in the series.

Key trends: Portland is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 6-0 in the previous six.

Early lean: New Orleans in a rout.

Nuggets at Suns (TBA)

Denver hosted the Lakers on Tuesday with Emmanuel Mudiay out and Danilo Gallinari and Darrell Arthur both questionable. Phoenix lost a second straight Monday, 110-89 in Utah. The Suns' starters had just 30 points. Brandon Knight had 26 off the bench. The Suns are 0-11 when scoring fewer than 100 points. The Suns have won three straight and eight of nine against the Nuggets. Phoenix led 60-28 at halftime of the first meeting on Nov. 14, the fourth-largest halftime lead in team history and third-fewest points allowed before halftime.

Key trends: The Nuggets are 1-8 ATS in the past nine meetings. The over is 5-2 in the previous seven.

Early lean: Suns will win easily.

Jazz at Warriors (-14, 207.5)

Utah easily handled Phoenix on Monday for its first winning streak since late November. Gordon Hayward scored 24 points as the Jazz had their second wire-to-wire win of the year. It was the first time in six games Utah scored at least 100 points. Golden State has oddly not played since Friday when it beat Milwaukee 121-112 to avenge its only loss. It was the Warriors' 30th straight regular-season home win. Center Andrew Bogut tweaked a back injury and isn't looking great to play in this one. Starting forward Harrison Barnes remains out. I thought the Warriors would lose in Salt Lake City on Nov. 30, but they escaped 106-103. That remains Golden State's closest win. The Warriors also have won four straight at home in the series.

Key trends: The home team is 6-1 ATS in the past seven. The over is 9-1 in Golden State's past nine following a win.

Early lean: Jazz -- Warriors will be looking ahead to Cavs.

Thunder at Lakers (+11, 208.5)

Los Angeles was in Denver on Tuesday. Oklahoma City won at the Clippers on Monday 100-99. Kevin Durant hit the go-ahead shot with 5.8 seconds left and then partially blocked Chris Paul's 12-footer at the other end to win it. Durant finished with a healthy line of 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. The Thunder hosted the Lakers on Saturday and destroyed them by 40. Kobe Bryant didn't play then. I would think he would here in a home game even in the second of a back-to-back. OKC has won five straight in the series.

Key trends: The Thunder are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 4-1 in those four.

Early lean: Thunder and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

The Best Spot Bets Over The Holidays
By: Ben Burns

Spot bets are classic handicapping practices that have proven profitable no matter what sport you're betting. Whether it's a team looking past this week's opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots. Ben Burns points out his favorites:

Letdown spot

The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Golden State Warriors in the main event on NBA Christmas Day, a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals. The Warriors have been rolling through the competition since knocking off LeBron James and the Cavs in the finals and Cleveland has had this one circled on the calendar, looking to make a statement to open the second half of the season.

Win or loss on Dec. 25, Cleveland is wide open for a letdown spot the following night visiting the Portland Trail Blazers. The Cavaliers will also have two days off following the Portland game, in which the team will likely scatter and spend time with their families after missing the Christmas holiday on the road. That letdown – coupled with a possible unfocused Cleveland team – makes for a dangerous spot on Dec. 26.

Schedule spot

The Texas Southern Tigers see light at the end of the tunnel as it pertains to their road-heavy non-conference schedule. The Tigers have played five in a row away from home and have two more road games before a homecoming on New Year’s Eve. Most of Texas Southern’s games have gone unlined, outside of matchups with Washington State and Mississippi State in which it failed to cover as a double-digit dog.

The next stop on the Tigers’ whirlwind tour is the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York on Dec. 27. Mike Davis’ squad has had 10 days to prep for the Orange but have to make a more than 1,600-mile trip to upstate New York, just a couple days after Christmas. Two days later, Texas Southern is back in the Lone Star State playing Baylor in Waco.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wolverines (5-7) at Cardinals (10-1)

Date: December 23, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Short-handed Louisville has just one more chance to prepare before the real meat of its schedule begins this weekend.


The 16th-ranked Cardinals will try to close out their Billy Minardi Classic with a victory over Utah Valley on Wednesday night.

Louisville (10-1) will try to end its string of six consecutive home games with a perfect mark following a 75-47 victory over Missouri-Kansas City in its Classic opener Tuesday. Trey Lewis had 17 points and led five players in double figures in the team's first game without post player Mangok Mathiang, who is out six to eight weeks because of a broken bone in his left foot.

Sophomore 7-footer Anas Mahmoud missed his third straight game because of an ankle injury and coach Rick Pitino said he could return during ACC play, which begins Jan. 3 against Wake Forest. Freshman forward Deng Adel returned after missing eight games due to a sprained knee and is expected to wear a brace for the next two weeks.

"A lot of people just have to step up, especially our bigs. Having Mangok out, he's one of our best bigs and we lose him vocally," said Adel, who started his first two collegiate games. "I think we can definitely fill those roles and learn to communicate. That's one of our biggest weaknesses. Once we figure that out, we should be fine. We should be able to continue to grow until Mangok comes back."

Even with their missing players, the Cardinals have won their past five games by an average of 33.6 points, but that's likely to change beginning this weekend. Louisville will travel to No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday in its final nonconference game.

Utah Valley (5-7) had a three-game win streak snapped with a 102-77 drubbing to North Carolina-Wilmington on Tuesday in Louisville. The Wolverines shot 41.7 percent - 5 of 20 from 3-point range - and were outrebounded 50-32, including an 18-8 disadvantage on the offensive glass.

They averaged 89.0 points on 47.3 percent shooting and connected at 38.3 percent from beyond the arc in their prior three games, including road victories against Idaho State and Texas-San Antonio.

Leading scorer Konner Frey, averaging 15.3 points, was held to six versus the Seahawks after totaling 53 in his previous three games. Senior guard Jaden Jackson had 17 points and is averaging 17.5 on 55.1 percent shooting in his last four contests.

Utah Valley has lost its five games against Top 25 teams by an average of 27.0 points since joining Division I in 2003-04. The Wolverines fell 87-56 at No. 3 Arizona in their only such matchup last season on Dec. 9, 2014, and are facing Louisville for the first time.

The Cardinals are 17-1 all-time in the Classic.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Aggies (7-5) at Bears (8-2)

Date: December 23, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Baylor is hopeful it can successfully move on from its latest defeat.

The No. 23 Bears are coming off their worst defensive performance of the season and now face one of the nation's top offensive players when they host Pascal Siakam and New Mexico State on Wednesday night.

Baylor (8-2) also played poorly on offense Saturday after averaging 85.6 points and shooting 48.3 percent during a seven-game winning streak. That ended with an 80-61 loss at then-No. 24 Texas A&M as the Bears were held to season lows for points and field-goal shooting (35.6 percent) while getting outrebounded (45-40) for the first time.

Rather than lament his team's shortcomings, coach Scott Drew praised the Aggies while believing his Bears can use that lopsided result as a foundation to fine-tune their play.

"Win or lose, you learn a lot and can improve a lot," said Drew, whose squad never led and trailed by as many as 29.

Besides the shooting and rebounding issues, Baylor allowed an opponent to score more than 75 points for the first time since February 2014 and gave up a season-worst 47.6 percent shooting.

"At the end of the day I know we'd much rather have this happen now than happen in conference," Drew said. "It's definitely a good learning experience for our team."

Rico Gathers (14.9 points, 11.8 rebounds per game) pulled down 18 boards but was held to a season-low eight points after totaling 51 in the previous two contests. Taurean Prince (14.6 ppg) also had eight points to match a season low and recorded three rebounds after posting 23 in the previous two.

"The biggest thing is to stay together, stay a family," said senior Lester Medford, who had a season-high 16 points with five assists and five steals. "You can't break down now, it's early in the season."

Before opening Big 12 play at second-ranked Kansas on Jan. 2, the Bears have two seemingly favorable matchups in Waco and are riding a 32-game nonconference home winning streak. Included in that run was a 66-55 victory over New Mexico State (7-5) last December.

"We mixed it up well with them for a while," coach Marvin Menzies told the Aggies' official website after the game.

However, that was before Siakam's emergence. The 6-foot-9 sophomore averaged 12.8 points and 7.7 rebounds last season, and had 12 points with four boards at Baylor. He's stepped up this season to rank among the national leaders at 23.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per contest.

The Aggies are 5-1 when he scores at least 24.

Siakam matched a career high with 35 points in Monday's 76-61 home win over Oral Roberts. Two of the three times he's scored a season-low 14 came on the road, including Saturday's 73-53 win at UTEP.

New Mexico State shot 49.0 percent that day after hitting 40.9 percent and averaging 59.3 points in its first three road games - all losses.

The Aggies, who have made four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, have lost 18 consecutive games against ranked opponents since beating then-No. 15 Nevada in January 2007.

The Bears were unranked for last year's matchup and held to 39.3 percent shooting as Gathers and Prince totaled just 11 points. Gathers, though, had a career-high seven steals as Baylor forced 19 turnovers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sooners (9-0) at Rainbow Warriors (8-1)

Date: December 23, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma Sooners have thoroughly enjoyed their two stays in Hawaii, and next they get a chance to extend their success there against their gracious hosts.

The third-ranked Sooners seek their third win in Honolulu this month when they meet Hawaii in the semifinal round of the Diamond Head Classic on Wednesday night.

Oklahoma (9-0) has won its last eight games by an average of 26.1 points, including a 78-55 victory over then-No. 9 Villanova in the Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor Classic. The Sooners opened their second trip to Honolulu with Tuesday's easy 88-60 victory over Washington State in the first round of the eight-team tournament, which features no other ranked teams.

Though Oklahoma has played six of its nine games at home, the two trips to Hawaii have made for a wild month.

'We've got to adjust because this is the life we choose and part of it is traveling on the road so we're used to this," senior guard Buddy Hield said. "â?¦ and we've just got to be ready for whatever the task at hand is and come out and play.'

Oklahoma is off to its best start since the Blake Griffin-led 2008-09 team won its first 12 games, and Hield is a major reason why.

The 6-foot-4 guard ranks in the top 10 nationally and leads the Big 12 Conference with 23.7 points per game. He has averaged 29.3 in his last three games, making 12 of 21 3-pointers.

Hield followed back-to-back 30-point performances â?? including a career-high 33 in Saturday's 87-74 win over Creighton - with an efficient 25 points in the tournament opener. In just 26 minutes, Hield made 8 of 13 shots and 5 of 8 from 3-point range against Washington State. He scored 15 points in the first half.

Hield has made 51.8 percent of his 3-point attempts to lead a Sooners team that ranks second in the nation at 47.2 percent from long range. The Sooners have made at least 10 3-pointers in six games and average 10.3.

On the other end of the court, Oklahoma has held its opponents to 26.5 percent shooting from deep. Creighton was the only team to finish at better than 40 percent against the Sooners, but they rebounded by holding Washington State to 5 of 21 from long range.

Oklahoma led just 38-31 at halftime but a 17-0 run early in the second half led to the lopsided victory.

'Defensively, we created some activity and had some deflections that we turned into transition opportunities and I thought we had some pretty good looks defensively in the first half, but we didn't come up with the loose balls and didn't guard through late in the shot clock,' coach Lon Kruger said. 'In the second half we played much better defensively and moved the ball offensively.'

Hawaii (8-1) used its own defensive gem to reach the semifinals, topping Northern Iowa 68-52 later Tuesday. The Rainbow Warriors forced 19 turnovers - upping their total to 64 in the last three games - and finished with 10 steals.

Aaron Valdes led Hawaii with 15 points, while Sai Tummala made 3 of 6 3-pointers for 12 points off the bench. Valdes leads Hawaii at 17.8 points per game.

The Rainbow Warriors won their last two games against top-5 opponents but haven't faced one since beating No. 4 Michigan State 84-62 on Nov. 19, 2005.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mustangs (10-0) at Buffaloes (11-1)

Date: December 23, 2015 11:30 PM EDT

Having kept SMU unbeaten in his return to the sidelines, Larry Brown will next try to lead the Mustangs to their best start in school history.

Brown faces one of his former players in Colorado coach Tad Boyle on Wednesday night in the Las Vegas Classic championship game, as No. 18 SMU looks to improve to 11-0 against a Buffaloes team seeking a 12th straight win.

Brown was suspended for nine games and SMU was barred from postseason tournaments this season after the NCAA ruled in September that a former administrative assistant for the program did course work to keep an athlete academically eligible.

Mustangs coach-in-waiting Tim Jankovich led the team until Brown returned for Tuesday's 90-74 victory over Kent State, the team's fifth in a row by double digits. SMU has won those by an average of 34.2 points en route to matching its 10-0 start from 1997-98.

"I was so excited to walk in the dressing room, and more excited seeing the staff and seeing the kids," Brown said. "I told (the players) our goal is to get better in practice and to get better in every game, to represent our conference and school.

"We haven't had any adversity yet. It was so exciting to see what Tim and the staff did."

Nic Moore had 25 points Tuesday, giving him 43 in the past two games. Keith Frazier chipped in 19 points and 10 rebounds while Jordan Tolbert had 18 with 10 boards.

Tolbert is averaging 19.8 points on 63.4 percent shooting and 15.3 rebounds in his last four contests. Fourth in the nation in shooting at 52.9 percent, the Mustangs have hit at least half their shots in five straight.

"Larry Brown is a Hall of Fame coach," Frazier said. "You have no choice but to go out and play your butt off for him. Coach wants me to play as I'm capable of playing."

The Mustangs will likely need another high-powered effort against Colorado, which is off to its best start since 1941-42, when it began 14-0 and eventually went to the Final Four.

The Buffaloes (11-1), who received votes in the latest AP poll, held off Penn State for a 71-70 victory Tuesday, their 11th straight for their longest since taking 12 in a row in 1961-62.

Josh Scott led the way with 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. The senior forward is averaging 21.0 points on 63.5 percent shooting in his six games this month.

Boyle played in the first two of Brown's five seasons with the Jayhawks and was team captain as a senior. Colorado has scrimmaged SMU in each of the last four seasons but this matchup will resonate even more.

"He shaped me as a coach, without a doubt," Boyle told the school's official website. "When I think of my basketball philosophy and value system, my core values, it traces back to Larry Brown and Larry Hicks, my high school coach."

Colorado's lone blemish this season came in its only matchup with a ranked team, a 68-62 defeat to then-No. 7 Iowa State on Nov. 13 in South Dakota. The Buffaloes have dropped nine straight games to Top 25 opponents since a 100-91 victory over No. 10 Oregon on Jan. 5, 2014.

Colorado has also shot a combined 36.9 percent in its two neutral-site games this season.

The Buffaloes are facing SMU for the first time since a 70-67 road loss Jan. 5, 2009, and are 4-2 in the all-time series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Broncos (8-4) at Huskies (8-5)

Date: December 23, 2015 4:30 PM EDT

Though neither resides in a power conference, Boise State and Northern Illinois have been two of college football's winningest programs this decade.

While both perhaps underachieved in terms of their usual high standards this year, the Broncos and Huskies finally meet Wednesday in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

Since 2010, only Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State have more victories than Northern Illinois, which ties Stanford and Michigan State with 65 in that span. A non-power conference darling even longer, Boise State (8-4) is right behind with 63.

"Boise State and Northern Illinois have been at the top or near the top of their conferences for many years now," said Mark Neville, the executive director of the San Diego Bowl Games. "They both play a very exciting brand of football that will be fun to watch."

Each school has busted the BCS in the last 10 years, with the Broncos beating Oklahoma and TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, while NIU (8-5) lost to Florida State in the Orange Bowl following the 2012 season.

Though Boise State won't win 10 games for the second time in three seasons, it's making a 14th straight bowl appearance. The Huskies are in their eighth consecutive bowl despite failing to post double-digit victories for the first time since 2009.

"What I am really looking forward to is the opportunity for our team to take on Boise State," NIU athletic director Sean Frazier said. "(It's) one of the premiere programs in the nation this decade, and a model program to emulate based on their body of work.

"We really couldn't ask for a better matchup."

However, it might not be a very competitive one if the Huskies can't get healthy at the quarterback position - or at least improve in that area.

NIU reached the Mid-American Conference championship game for a sixth straight season but lost 34-14 to Bowling Green with third-string true freshman Tommy Fiedler under center. NIU starter Drew Hare ruptured his Achilles' during a 32-27 win at then-No. 20 Toledo on Nov. 30 and backup Ryan Graham suffered a leg injury in the five-point loss to Ohio in the regular-season finale.

After scoring at least 27 points and averaging 518.7 yards during a five-game winning streak, the Huskies totaled 35 and gained 587 against Ohio and Bowling Green. If Graham, who has thrown for 622 yards with six touchdowns and run for 140 since replacing Hare, can't return for this contest, NIU's task becomes significantly tougher.

In two games, Fiedler went 21 of 45 for 265 yards with two touchdowns. He threw all three of his interceptions and was sacked four times against Bowling Green.

Joel Bouagnon led the MAC with 1,269 rushing yards and is tied for fifth in the FBS with 18 rushing TDs, but he's scored once while averaging 54.7 in the last three contests.

"There's no 'Whoa is me,'" coach Rod Carey said. "There's none of that going on."

But the order is tall against a Boise State defense that's 24th in the FBS with 342.1 yards allowed per game, 26th at 21.3 points and third with 22 interceptions. After giving up 68 points in back-to-back losses to New Mexico and Air Force, the Broncos rebounded with a 40-23 win at San Jose State to end the regular season.

Though Boise State would seem to have the advantage against a NIU offense that's in flux, coach Bryan Harsin won't allow his team to take anything for granted.

"We've got to put in the work, put in the time and be prepared," he said. "You know (NIU) knows how to win and they have a culture of winning. Our guys are excited."

Boise State also has an exciting offense that ranks 16th in scoring at 37.8 points per game and 18th with 488.6 total yards per contest.

Sophomore Jeremy McNichols averaged 5.6 yards per carry while rushing for 1,244 and 18 TDs. He's averaged 138.7 yards and scored 10 times over the last seven contests.

Brett Rypien, the nephew of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, was named Mountain West Conference freshman of the year after throwing for 2,973 yards and 17 TDS. He's gone four of the last five games without throwing an interception.

That could change against a NIU defense that's right behind the Broncos nationally with 21 interceptions. All-MAC cornerback Shawun Lurry is tied for the national lead with nine. He picked off a pair of passes during the Huskies' near upset of then-No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 19, and returned an interception for a score in the league title game.

Looking to avoid a fourth consecutive bowl defeat, NIU dropped to 0-2 in the Poinsettia Bowl with a 21-14 loss to Utah State two years ago.

Boise State, which has won five of its last six bowl games, fell 17-16 to TCU in the 2008 edition of this one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Georgia Southern Eagles (8-4) at Bowling Green Falcons (10-3)

Date: December 23, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Dino Babers is off to Syracuse, but Bowling Green has already landed a successor who seems plenty capable of carrying on a budding offensive tradition - even if he was coaching Texas high school ball four seasons ago.

There's still one more game before Mike Jinks will man the sideline for the Falcons - their meeting Wednesday in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, against a Georgia Southern team that's also bridging the gap between coaches.

While the Eagles (8-4) are making their first postseason appearance in their second season in the FBS, the Mid-American Conference champions will try to close out their season with a second straight bowl victory and first 11-win season since 2003.

Bowling Green (10-3) sent Babers off with a 34-14 win over Northern Illinois in the MAC title game on Dec. 4 with 501 yards of total offense. The Falcons rank fifth the FBS with 43.4 points per game and fourth at 561.0 yards, topping all teams playing outside the Big 12. They failed to top 500 yards once.

Jinks replaced him on Dec. 8 after filling the associate head coach and running backs coach roles at Texas Tech, another impressive offensive program. He spent three seasons there after being hired from the high school ranks following the 2012 season. The former Angelo State quarterback's rise is on hold while interim head coach Brian Ward leads the Falcons through bowl season.

While it might appear to be a gap between regimes, Ward sees it as a chance to cap an important season on the highest note possible.

"This is an opportunity for our team to win an 11th game, finish the season being ranked," Ward said. "There are still a lot of goals out there. And having those goals and fulfilling those goals - this is a team that set out to win the MAC East, they set out to win the MAC, they set out to win a bowl game. ... We win a bowl game, we have an opportunity to finish the season ranked in the Top 25, which makes this a significant year in (Bowling Green) football history."

That's all been made possible by bouncing back from a 44-28 home loss to Toledo on Nov. 17 with a 48-10 win at Ball State leading into the conference title game. In the consecutive victories, the Falcons limited Ball State and NIU to 261.5 yards per game with eight takeaways for a plus-6 turnover margin.

Top rusher Travis Greene had a career-high 183 yards against NIU and averaged 6.24 yards per carry in the last five games. The Falcons also feature the nation's leading receiver in third-team All-America Roger Lewis (1,476 yards), but Ward still expects his offense to be pulled from its comfort zone.

"My first reaction was great opponent, great challenge, and they're going to give us a lot of different looks and a lot of different things to prepare for offensively because they're very different than what we've seen," Ward said.

Georgia Southern hasn't yet hired the successor to former coach Willie Fritz, who accepted Tulane's job. The Eagles will be led by interim head coach Dell McGee as they complete their transformation from an FCS power to a bowl-eligible member of the Sun Belt.

The regular season ended with losses in two of three, but the first of those was a 23-17 overtime defeat at Georgia on Nov. 21. Two weeks later, the Eagles fell 34-7 at home to Georgia State, showing a second-half deficit isn't something their offense can handle.

"They won the battle up front on the offensive and defensive lines," Fritz said. "We had a hard time running the football against them and then we had to pass, and we're not a passing team."

That might be an understatement, given Georgia Southern's 129 passing attempts for an FBS-low 742 yards - just over half the total Lewis pulled in on his own. That certainly doesn't mean the Eagles didn't move the ball. Their 4,267 rushing yards and 6.47 per carry both led the nation, and top back Matt Breida ran for 1,586 on a ridiculous 8.19 per rush.

As one-dimensional as that may be, Bowling Green is bracing for the possibility of plenty of offense on both sides.

"They play a different style of football on offense than we've seen, so it could be an explosive football game," Ward said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's Bowl Action

BOISE STATE BRONCOS (8-4) vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (8-5)

Poinsettia Bowl
Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA
Kickoff: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. ET
Line: Boise State -8.5, Total: 56

Two eight-win teams missing No. 1 quarterbacks will meet in San Diego on Wednesday afternoon when Boise State takes on Northern Illinois.

The Broncos (6-6 ATS) have been without QB Ryan Finley (ankle) for most of the year, while the Huskies (8-4-1 ATS) saw top QB Drew Hare rupture his Achilles tendon in November. Boise State has still piled up 37.7 PPG this year, including 40.3 PPG away from home, but NIU has a mere 35 points and six turnovers during a current two-game losing skid.

The Huskies have lost all three bowls under head coach Rod Carey, while the Broncos are 5-1 in their past six bowls, including head coach Bryan Harsin’s Fiesta Bowl win last season.

Although Boise State has dropped two of its past three games by allowing more than 30 points each to New Mexico and Air Force, the team is 33-12 ATS (73%) after two ATS losses in its previous three games since 1992, including a perfect 7-0 ATS under Harsin.

But Northern Illinois has thrived in the underdog role since 1992, going 49-31 ATS (61%), and benefits from its Wednesday opponent falling in the category of favorites of 3.5 to 10 points with a good rushing defense (125 or less rush YPG), after 5.5+ YPC in its previous game going 19-46 ATS (29%) in the past five seasons.

On the injury front, both teams have a pair of questionable players to deal with, as the Broncos might be without WR Austin Cottrell (leg) and DB Darian Thompson (concussion), while the Huskies could be missing QB Ryan Graham (leg) and WR Tommylee Lewis (knee).

Boise State averages 489 total YPG this season, and has topped 30 points in 11 straight contests, including seven games of 40+ points. The team is very balanced with season averages of 40 passes and 41 rushes per game, but is more efficient through the air (304 YPG, 7.5 YPA) than on the ground (184 YPG, 4.4 YPC).

Freshman QB Brett Rypien has done a great job all season with 2,976 passing yards (7.6 YPA), 17 TD and 7 INT. He has zero picks in seven of 10 games, and has thrown for at least two scores in four of the past five contests. His favorite target is junior WR Thomas Sperbeck (82 rec, 1,334 yds, 8 TD), who has more than 150 receiving yards in four of his past seven outings, including 281 yards on 20 catches versus New Mexico three games ago.

The Broncos also have a star ball carrier in sophomore RB Jeremy McNichols (1,244 rush yds, 5.6 YPC, 18 TD), who has a streak of seven straight 100-yard efforts, including 120+ yards in each of the past five contests. The elusive 5-foot-9, 205-pounder also has 46 catches for 364 yards and 5 TD to give him eight multi-touchdown games this season.

Although the Broncos have struggled to stop their past three opponents (30.3 PPG, 498 total YPG), they are still allowing only 21.3 PPG on 342 total YPG for the season. The run-stop unit has been outstanding in limiting teams to 118 YPG on 3.4 YPC, including 105 YPG and 3.0 YPC away from home.

The secondary has given up a respectable 224 passing YPG on 6.9 YPA this season, and the whole defense has benefitted greatly from 28 forced turnovers, including 10 over the past four games. This could be problematic for a Huskies offense that had five miscues in the last game.

Northern Illinois has turned the ball over at least twice in eight games during the 2015 campaign, but is still averaging a strong 33.0 PPG and 427 total YPG this season. Although the Huskies choose to run the football 62% of the time, resulting in 205 rushing YPG on 4.3 YPC, they have a mere 27:09 average time of possession.

The strong passing game tallies 222 YPG on 7.5 YPA this season, but NIU could be forced to start third-string QB Tommy Fiedler in this bowl game with No. 2 QB Ryan Graham (8.1 YPA, 6 TD, 3 INT) injured. The freshman Fiedler has played each of the past two games, where he has completed only 21-of-45 throws (47%) for 265 yards (5.9 YPA), 2 TD and 3 INT.

Whoever is under center will look often to top WR Kenny Golladay, who has caught 71 passes for 1,122 yards and 10 TD this year. Although the junior has more than 125 yards on four different occasions, he was held to one catch for 15 yards in the MAC Championship Game loss to Bowling Green. The bulk of the ball carrying belongs to RB Joel Bouagnon, who has rushed 275 times for 1,269 yards (4.6 YPC) and 18 touchdowns.

But in the past three weeks, the junior has been held to 164 yards on 51 carries (3.2 YPC). Considering how long the Huskies are on the field (32:51 per game), they have done a solid job in holding teams to 25.5 PPG and 400 total YPG.

They allow 167 YPG on the ground, but only 3.9 YPC, and of the 233 passing YPG they give up, opposing quarterbacks average a pedestrian 6.3 yards per attempt. Turnovers have also been huge for NIU, which has recorded multiple takeaways in five straight contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's Bowl Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Boise State vs. Northern Illinois**

-- Two of the nation’s best college football programs that aren’t from Power Five Conferences will collide Wednesday afternoon at the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. We’re talking about Boise State and Northern Illinois, both of whom are trying to salvage otherwise so-so seasons for their standards. As of Tuesday afternoon, most betting shops had Boise State (8-4 straight up, 6-6 against the spread) installed as an eight-point favorite with a total of 56 points. The Huskies are +275 on the money line (risk $100 to win $275).

-- Boise State went 12-2 and beat Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl last season in the first year of Bryan Harsin’s tenure. However, BSU took a couple of steps back this year, losing consecutive home games in November as a double-digit favorite. The Broncos were favored by 31 points vs. New Mexico on Nov. 14, but the Lobos invaded the blue carpet and snagged a 31-24 win in a stunning upset. Then on Nov. 20 at home again, it was Air Force that took its turn at prevailed in the smurf turf with a 37-30 triumph as a 10.5-point underdog.

-- Boise State would bounce back to win 40-23 at San Jose State as an eight-point road ‘chalk’ in its regular-season finale. But it left the Broncos at 5-3 in MWC play and the Falcons beat them out with the head-to-head tiebreaker to make the MWC Championship Game. In the win over the Spartans, Brett Rypien completed 25-of-33 throws for 197 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Jeremy McNichols rushed 20 times for 192 yards and a pair of TDs. The sophomore RB also had six catches for 40 yards and one TD.

-- Rypien was expected to redshirt as a true freshman, but that changed when starting QB Ryan Finley went down with a season-ending injury in September. Rypien, the nephew of Washington Redskins great Mark Rypien, completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 2,973 yards with a 17/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His favorite target is Thomas Sperbeck, who had 82 receptions for 1,334 yards and eight TDs. Shane Williams-Rhodes has 54 catches for 427 yards.

-- BSU’s offense is led by McNicholls, who rushed for 1,244 yards and 18 TDs with a 5.6 yards-per-carry average. McNicholls also produced 46 catches for 364 yards and five TDs. Kelsey Young is a quality back-up RB who has run for 457 yards and seven TDs with a 5.0 YPC average.

-- BSU was a single-digit favorite three times this year, going 1-2 both SU and ATS.

-- Northern Illinois (8-5 SU, 7-4 ATS) had won 11 games or more for five straight seasons until losing four regular-season game and losing in the MAC Championship Game. In fairness to the Huskies, we should note that they suffered two of their losses after star QB Drew Hare was lost for the season to a broken leg. In addition, they dropped a pair of one-possession games at Ohio State (20-13) and at Boston College (17-14).

-- NIU won six in a row and handed Toledo its first loss of the season at the Glass Bowl as a seven-point underdog on Nov. 3. Hare sustained the injury in the first half, but the Huskies were able to capture a 32-27 victory nonetheless. Redshirt freshman Ryan Graham filled in well for Hare and led NIU to a pair of subsequent wins before getting injured in a 26-21 home loss to Ohio in the regular-season finale.

-- With Graham out against Bowling Green in the MAC Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit, Tommy Fiedler made his first career start at QB. Fiedler struggled mightily against the Falcons, completed only 12-of-28 passes for 152 yards with one TD pass and three interceptions. He was only able to produce 22 rushing yards on 14 carries. Fortunately for NIU, Graham is back from his MCL injury and is expected to start. Like Rypien, Graham is the nephew of a former NFL QB in Kent Graham. Graham has connected on 59.3 percent of his passes for 653 yards with a 6/3 TD-INT ratio. He has rushed for 153 yards.

-- NIU’s Joel Bouagnon has rushed for 1,270 yards and 18 TDs while averaging 4.6 YPC. RB Jordan Huff also gets plenty of touches, rushing for 640 yards and eight TDs while averaging 7.9 YPC. The Huskies top WR is Kenny Golladay, who has 71 receptions for 1,122 yards and 10 TDs.

-- NIU sophomore CB Shawun Lurry led the nation with nine interceptions and averaged 30.3 yards per return. Lurry also recorded 39 tackles and 14 passes broken up. He has a pick-six in the loss to Bowling Green the last time out.

-- NIU compiled a 2-1-1 spread record in four games as an underdog this year. Going back to 2004, the Huskies are 27-15-1 ATS as ’dogs.

-- BSU senior safety Darian Thompson became the Mountain West Conference’s all-time leader in career interceptions this year. Thompson picked off five passes to bring his career total to 19. The Broncos had more interceptions (22) than the Huskies (21).

-- The ‘under’ is 7-6 overall for NIU after cashing in three straight games and four of its last five. The Huskies have seen their games average combined scores of 58.5 points per game.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (6-6) for BSU, but the ‘over’ has hit in back-to-back games and three of its last four.

-- ESPN will have the telecast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

**Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green**

-- The Sun Belt Conference and the MAC will be represented at this year’s GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Weather could be a factor with an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms and with wind in the 15-25 miles-per-hour range.

-- As of Tuesday, most spots had Bowling Green listed as a seven-point favorite with a total of 64. The Eagles are +240 on the money line (risk $100 to win $240).

-- Bowling Green (10-3 SU, 10-3 ATS) won the MAC thanks to the aforementioned win over NIU. The Falcons have won nine of their last 10 games, going 8-2 versus the number. They have been single-digit ‘chalk’ three times, compiling a 2-1 spread record.

-- The successful season led to head coach Dino Babers being tabbed as Syracuse’s next HC. Therefore, defensive coordinator Brian Ward has been named the interim head coach even though he’ll join Babers shortly to become the DC for the ‘Cuse.

-- Bowling Green is led by senior QB Matt Johnson, who returned from a torn ACL suffered in Week 2 of 2014 to lead the nation in passing yards (4,700). Johnson, who was named the MAC’s Offensive Player of the Year, completed 368-of-535 passes (68.8%) with a 43/8 TD-INT ratio. Johnson’s favorite target is sophomore WR Roger Lewis, who won the Paul Warfield Award thanks to 82 receptions for an FBS-best 1,476 yards and 15 TDs. Gehrig Dieter hauled in 89 catches for 957 yards and nine TDs, while Ronnie Moore caught 67 balls for 868 yards and five TDs.

-- Bowling Green can get it done on the ground, too. Travis Greene has rushed for 1,219 yards and 14 TDs while averaging 5.8 YPC. He also has 27 catches for 237 yards and a pair of TDs. Fred Coppet is more-than-capable back-up, rushing for 797 yards and five TDs while averaging 5.9 YPC.

-- Bowling Green is fourth in the nation in total offense, third in passing and fifth in scoring with a 43.4 PPG average. Defense is another story, however, as the Falcons are 78th in total defense, 94th against the pass and 55th versus the run.

-- Georgia Southern (8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS) has thrived as an underdog through the years, although it has just a 2-2 spread record with one outright win in four such spots this season. Going back to 2010, the Eagles are 8-3 ATS as underdogs. This will be their first bowl game in school history, but it just their second season at the FBS level. They won Division I-AA national titles six times from 1985-2000.

-- Just like it did with Tracy Ham under center for its first two national titles in 1985 and ’86, Georgia Southern continues to run the triple-option running attack. Junior QB Kevin Ellison runs the show these days, rushing for 642 yards and eight TDs while averaging 6.4 YPC this year. He completed only 37-of-84 passes for 532 yards with an abysmal 3/5 TD-INT ratio. Junior Favian Upshaw gets plenty of snaps as well and started the first two games when Ellison was suspended. Upshaw has run for 384 yards and two TDs while averaging 5.6 YPC. He has connected on just 40 percent of his throws for 210 yards with five interceptions and zero TD passes.

-- Junior RB Matt Breida leads GSU with 1,540 rushing yards and 16 TDs. Breida averages an eye-popping 8.1 YPC. Breida had seven games with 137 rushing yards or more and ran for a season-high 205 yards in a 37-13 win vs. Texas State L.A. Ramsby carries a big load as well, evidenced by 772 rushing yards, 12 TDs and a 5.0 YPC average.

-- Georgia Southern faced a pair of Power Five schools this year, losing 44-0 at West Va. in the opener when Ellison wasn’t in uniform. Then on Nov. 21, the Eagles took Georgia to overtime in Athens before dropping a 23-17 decision as 13-point underdogs. The regular-season finale was a colossal disappointment for GSU, as it was drilled by Georgia State 34-7 as a 20.5-point home favorite in Statesboro.

-- The ‘under’ is 5-1 in the Eagles’ last six games to improve to 7-5 overall. They have seen their games average combined scores of 57.9 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ has cashed in four consecutive Bowling Green games to improve to 7-6 overall. The Falcons have seen their games average combined scores of 70.1 PPG.

-- Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's college football bowl games betting preview

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Game played at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Boise State Broncos vs. Northern Illinois Huskies (+8, 56)

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL STORYLINES

1. Two teams that had loftier expectations will share the gridiron when Boise State squares off with Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Boise State was looking to repeat as the Group of Five's representative in a New Year's Six bowl but the Broncos underachieved with three losses in Mountain West play and stand at 8-4. The Huskies had similar aspirations after five consecutive seasons of 11 or more victories but are now attempting to avoid their first six-loss season since 2009.

2. Boise State is averaging 37.8 points behind freshman quarterback Brett Rypien, who was in line to redshirt in his first season on campus until sophomore Ryan Finley suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The nephew of former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien was ready for the challenge and passed for 2,973 yards and 17 touchdowns while winning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors. Northern Illinois has done some quarterback shuffling of its own as junior starter Drew Hare (Achilles' tendon) and redshirt freshman backup Ryan Graham (leg) both were injured and freshman Tommy Fiedler is currently slated to make his second career start.

3. Huskies sophomore cornerback Shawun Lurry stands just 5-8 but he is a player quarterbacks are learning to avoid as he leads the nation with nine interceptions and is averaging 30.3 yards per return. "It just comes from practicing hard every day and taking practice seriously and the (defensive) line putting pressure on the quarterback," Lurry recently told reporters. "When they do that, the quarterback just throws the ball up in the air and I’ll be in the right area sometimes and I get it." The Broncos (22) have even more interceptions than Northern Illinois (21) and feature senior safety Darian Thompson, who had five picks this season and is the Mountain West's all-time leader with 19.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened NIU as 8.5-point dogs but that has moved to +8. The total opened at 56.

INJURY REPORT:

Boise State - WR Shane Williams-Rhodes (Probable, ankle), CB Donte Deayon (Probable, knee), WR Austin Cottrell (Questionable, leg), S Darian Thompson (Questionable, concussion), QB Ryan Finley (Out indefinitely, ankle), TE David Lucero (Out indefinitely, suspension), WR Akilian Butler (Out indefinitely, undisclosed), S Dylan Sumner-Gardner (Out indefinitely, ankle), OL Rees Odhiambo (Out for season, ankle), Gabe Perez (Out for season, shoulder).

Northern Illinois - QB Ryan Graham (Probable, leg), WR Tommylee Lewis (Questionable, ankle), DT Corey Thomas (Out for season, knee), QB Drew Hare (Out for season, lower body).

WEATHER INFO: Temperatures in the low-60s under partly cloudy skies.

ABOUT BOISE STATE (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS, 6-6 O/U): Sophomore running back Jeremy McNichols is tied for the national lead with 23 touchdowns (18 rushing, five receiving) and has rushed for 1,244 yards while posting seven 100-yard performances. Junior receiver Thomas Sperbeck leads the Mountain West in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,334) - with the latter total breaking the school single-season mark set by Titus Young (1,210 in 2010). Thompson and senior cornerback Donte Deayon (17 career interceptions, four this season) head the secondary while junior defensive end Kamalei Correa has a team-leading five sacks for a unit with 28 takeaways.

ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (8-5 SU, 7-4-2 ATS, 6-7 O/U): The Huskies figure to give junior running back Joel Bouagnon (1,269 yards, 18 touchdowns) a heavy workload to help take pressure off Fiedler, who was 12-of-28 for 152 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in a 34-14 loss to Bowling Green in the MAC title game. Junior receiver Kenny Golladay (71 receptions for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns) is a big-play threat on offense while MAC Special Teams Player of the Year Aregeros Turner - a junior - averages 25.2 yards with one touchdown on kickoff returns. Senior middle linebacker Boomer Mays (108 tackles) and senior defensive end Perez Ford (five sacks) join Lurry as the headliners on a defense that forced 27 turnovers.

TRENDS:

* Broncos are 1-4 ATS in their last five games in December.
* Huskies are 2-6 ATS in their last eight bowl games.
* Under is 5-2 in Broncos last seven vs. MAC.
* Under is 12-5 in Huskies last 17 neutral site games.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-three percent are backing the Broncos.


Godaddy Bowl

Game played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama

Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Bowling Green Falcons (-7.5, 64)

GODADDY BOWL STORYLINES

1. With one of the most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver tandems in the game, MAC champion Bowling Green will be looking to match a school record for wins set in 2003 when it faces Georgia Southern on Dec. 23 in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Dino Babers posted an 8-6 record in his first season at the helm in 2014, and now has the Falcons on the verge of consecutive bowl wins for the second time in school history (2003-04). Bowling Green ranks in the top five in FBS in scoring (43.4 points per game), passing offense (376 yards per game) and total offense (561 yards per game).

2. Led by second-year coach Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern is making its first bowl appearance in its first year of bowl eligibility. A power in the Division I-AA ranks, the Eagles won national championships in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000. Georgia Southern won the Sun Belt Conference with a perfect 8-0 record last season and finished third this season, and the Eagles took Georgia to overtime before falling 23-17 on Nov. 21.

3. Bowling Green and Georgia Southern enter with drastically different offensive approaches. The Falcons boast one of the most potent passing games in the country with MAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Johnson throwing to Paul Warfield Award-winning wide receiver Roger Lewis. The Eagles, on the other hand, rely on a triple-option run attack that averages 355 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry and received a combined 2,320 yards from Matt Breida and L.A. Ramsby.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened Bowling Green as a 7.5-point favorite. The total is down to 64 from the opening 66.

INJURY REPORT:

Georgia Southern - OL Roscoe Byrd (Questionable, undisclosed).

Bowling Green - RB Donovan Wilson (Questionable, undisclosed), DL Mike Minns (Out, suspension), OL Christian Piazza (Out for season, undisclosed), K Anthony Farinella (Out indefinitely, back), DL Gus Schwieterman (Out for season, foot).

WEATHER INFO: Temperatures in the low-70s with an 87 percent chance of thunderstorms. Wind is expected to blow toward the north endzone at around 10 miles per hour.

ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (8-4 SU, 8-4 ATS, 5-7 O/U): A potent running attack has allowed the Eagles to top 40 points seven times this season and is led by the 5-11, 190-pound junior Breida, who has rushed for 1,540 yards, 16 touchdowns and an 8.2 yards-per-carry average. Georgia Southern threw just 129 passes all season and sophomore Kevin Ellison enters having completed only 44 percent of his 84 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns against five interceptions. The Eagles yield 23 points per contest and 204 passing yards per game but have recorded just 21 sacks.

ABOUT BOWLING GREEN (10-3 SU, 10-3 ATS, 6-7 O/U): Johnson, who has completed 368-of-535 passes for 43 touchdowns against eight interceptions, leads FBS with 4,700 yards passing and ranks eighth in passer efficiency rating (166.1). Lewis caught 82 passes for an FBS-high 1,476 yards and joins Ryan Burbrink (56 catches, 627 yards) and Ronnie Moore (67 catches, 871 yards) as receivers who have recorded 2,000 yards receiving in their careers. Running backs Travis Greene (1,219 yards) and Fred Coppet (797) have combined for 19 TDs and 5.8 yards per carry.

TRENDS:

* Eagles are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
* Falcons are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Eagles last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Falcons last four bowl games.

CONSENSUS: Seventy percent are backing the Falcons.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College Football Playoff

College Football has the four teams in place for the National Semifinal Playoff games. First up on December 31, 04:00 EST is the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium in Miami featuring Oklahoma Sooners (11-1, 9-3 ATS, 8-4 O/U) and Clemson Tigers (13-0, 6-7 ATS, 8-5 O/U). Sooners have opened 4.0 point favorite with the total at 65. That will be followed by an 08:00 EST matchup between Michigan State Spartans (12-1, 5-7-1 ATS, 6-7 O/U) and Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1, 7-6 ATS, 5-8 O/U) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Crimson Tide have been given the nod opening -10.0 point favorites with the total set at 49.

The Semifinal winners will meet for all the marbles Jan. 11, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Poinsettia Bowl, San Diego, Dec 23
Boise State lost its last two home games, allowed 29.5 ppg in last four overall; Broncos won four of last five bowls, with average total in last four 63.8- they covered two of last three as bowl favorite. Northern Illinois lost its last three bowls by average score of 35-16. Huskies are 1-3 vs bowl teams this season; they're 8-0 when scoring 27+ points, 0-5 when they score less. NIU lost last two games, to Ohio/bowling Green. MAC non-conference underdogs are 19-9 vs spread this season; MW favorites are 1-7.

GoDaddy Bowl, Mobile
Georgia Southern-Bowling Green both lost their head coaches already; not a lot of similarity after that. GSU is playing in its first bowl, in its second year of I-A ball- they're 8-0 when running ball for 325+ yards- they were held to 233 or less YR in all four losses, are 2-2 as underdogs this year. BG won nine of last ten games, with last seven wins all by 14+ points. Falcons beat USA 33-28 LY to snap 4-game bowl losing streak. MAC non-conference favorites are 5-5 vs spread; Sun Belt underdogs are 12-11 against the spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bowl Tech Trends - Week 2
By Bruce Marshall

Wednesday, December 23

Matchup Skinny Edge

BOISE STATE vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (Poinsettia Bowl)
Boise 5-2 vs. spread last seven bowls though only 1-2 last three. Broncos only 6-5 SU last 11 bowls. Harsin just 6-6 vs. spread this season and 9-9 last 18 on board since mid 2014. NIU 0-3 SU and vs. line last three bowls but was 9-4 vs. spread this season and is 12-6 as dog since 2010.

Slight to NIU, based on recent trends.


GEORGIA SOUTHERN at BOWLING GREEN (GoDaddy Bowl)
No more Dino Babers for BGSU after big 2015 in which Falcs were 9-3-1 vs. line, and enter bowl with 10-3-1 spread mark last 14. Though Falcs 1-2 SU and vs. line last three years in bowls, 1-5 SU and vs. line last six bowls dating to 2007. Over” 9-4 last 13 since late 2014. Ga Southern making first bowl appearance after covering 8 of 12 this season and 3-1 vs. line against non-Belt foes. Eagles 5-3 as dog the past two seasons.

Slight to Bowling Green, based on recent trends.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

At the Gate - Wednesday
By Mike Dempsey

We have a 10-race card at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday and then a two-day Christmas break, with action picking back up on Saturday.

I still have some Christmas shopping to do, so hitting the Pick 5 today would certainly come in handy, as well as a couple of trifectas.

Trainer Todd Pletcher continues to send out live runners at the meeting, with a dozen winners from his 32 starters, winning at a 38% clip.

Ralph Nicks has picked it up and now is second in the trainer standings with six winners from 21 starters, good for a win clip of 29%. Nicks has runners in four races this afternoon and each look as if they fit. Pletcher has starters in five races.

Peter Walder (5 for 15) and Joe Sharp (5 for 17) are tied for third in the trainer standings.

Trainer Luis Duco may find his stocking filled with coal as he is 0 for 24 at the meeting. Others on the duck include Oscar Gonzalez (0 for 14), Daniel Pitts (0 for 13) and Mikhail Yanakov (0 for 11).

On the jockey side Javier Castellano has a six win lead with 19 winners while Luis Saez is second, booting home 13 winners through Sunday.

Tyler Gaffalione is having a good meeting with 10 winners, four of them coming last Wednesday. John Velazquez and Corey Lanerie are next with seven winners each.

Among the jockeys that are struggling are Edgard Zayas (4 for 76), Paco Lopez (4 for 68) and Eddie Castro (2 for 57). Jeffrey Sanchez has the most mounts without a winner, currently 0 for 29.

I hope everyone has a great holiday and coming up Saturday I will have my full card reports for both Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct and I’ll have selections for the $300,000 Malibu (G1) which features Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) champ Runhappy.

Here is today’s opening race from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:

GP Race 1 Clm $30,000B (12:35 ET)
4 Prince Vincenzo 3-1
2 Ginger Goose 7-2
1 Aplomb 5-1
6 Easement 4-1

Analysis: Prince Vincenzo was not a threat last out in the Showing Up and now drops into a better spot here tagged for $30,000. Two back this guy was a game head winner over Alw-2 optional claimers at Delaware Park. He ran a decent third in the Florida bred Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs back in April. He fits well in this spot.

Ginger Goose chased the early pace and could not get by the winner late in a runner up finish at this condition last out at Gulfstream Park West, beaten a length for the top spot. He was nearly five lengths clear of the rest of the field in the effort. He has a habit of landing for minor shares, nine runner up finishes versus just two trips to the winner's circle. It could be more of the same here.

Wagering
WIN: 4 to win at 5-2 or better
EX: 2,4 / 1,2,4,6
TRI: 2,4 / 1,2,4,6 / 1,2,4,5,6

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:

GP Race 9 Alw $41,000N1X (4:35 ET)
6 Red Neck Song 6-1
1 Tiger Moth 8-5
4 Paris Bikini 3-1
3 Garden Princess 8-1

Analysis: Red Neck Song is 0 for 3 at this level since breaking her maiden at Ellis Park four back going a two turn mile. She returns here off a 2 1/2 month break and makes her first start for the Vitali barn that is 16% winners with newcomers to the barn. She has decent looking works on the morning tab and with the two Pletcher fillies likely to get bet, this gal should end up a decent enough price. She exits a race in which a pair came back to run second and one won next out against Alw-1 foes.

Tiger Moth tracked the early pace and finished gamely in a runner up finish last out going long at Keeneland at this level. Two back at Belmont Park in the mud she was a distant second behind repeat winner Carrumba, who beat Alw-2 optional claimers and then was beaten just a neck in the Comely (G3) in her most recent outing. The Pletcher barn has been very live at the meeting, hitting at a 38% clip.

Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 7-2 or better
EX: 1,6 / 1,3,4,6
TRI: 1,6 / 1,3,4,6 / 1,3,4,6,8

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Gulfrstream Park
R2: #1 Mutaka 10-1
R4: #2 Undertherain 8-1
R5: #1 B T’s Baby 12-1
R6: #9 Starchy Leitenont 8-1
R7: #6 Kundray 15-1
R8: #11 Kizuna 10-1
R9: #3 Garden Princess 8-1
R10: #9 Summer Scamp 10-1

Good luck today!

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at The Meadows

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 16 - Post: 5:55 - 1 mile. TROT - Class Rating: 83 - Purse:$6500 - CD 4YO & UP NW $2800 LAST 4 STARTS HORSES RACING FOR A PURSE GREATER THAN $10,501 LAST START NE - STAKES, CLOSERS & 10 HORSE BONUS MONEY EXCLUDED


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 1 Y-DAT 12/1


# 5 THEHOUSEISROCKIN 6/1


# 3 BOOTSWITHTHEFUR 3/1


Y-DAT sure does look ready to dominate especially at such a decent 12/1. The group gives this nice horse a really strong chance to win this one, class ratings are tops in the group of horses. Don't pass over a horse with these connections. Driver/conditioner statistics are looking good. With very good win percentages, Pantaleano should have this gelding in excellent position to win the competition. THEHOUSEISROCKIN - Wollam's ROI for runners going down in class make this a solid play. Considered a solid wager based solely on his high win figure. BOOTSWITHTHEFUR - That 84 TrackMaster SR clocked in the last race puts this nice horse in the mix here. This harness racer will have to be a wager, based on the very good driver-trainer win percent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Pompano Park

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 11 - Post: 10:00 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 80 - Purse:$5000 - FILLIES AND MARES NW$2,001 LAST 5 STARTS OR $401 PER START IN 2015. AE: FM CLAIMING $6,000 AND FM NW 5 EXT. PM RACES LIFETIME. HORSES FOR A BASE PURSE HIGHER THAN $7,000 LAST START NOT ELIGIBLE. MACDONALD PICKED 3 OVER 2


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 6 DREAM ROLL 3/1


# 5 WISHINGONADRAGON 12/1


# 3 MISS DOLLAR MAM 7/2


DREAM ROLL has a respectable shot to take this race. Most likely the class of the grouping with an average rating of 82. A nice pick. This entrant recorded a respectable TrackMaster Speed Rating last time out. Looks in fine form to come right back. WISHINGONADRAGON - When the starter calls, horses coming out of the 5 slot have more wins than the expected average. MISS DOLLAR MAM - This contest could be controlled by this mare. Just one look at the avgerage speed rating will confirm that. It's risky to consider on class alone, but this mare has among the most compelling class statistics of the field of horses.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Camarero Race Track

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 5 - Maiden Claiming - 6.0f on the Dirt. Purse: $5750 Class Rating: 34

FOR NATIVE MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 118 LBS.; OLDER, 120 LBS. CLASIFICADOS EN $3,500 Y DEBUTANTES ALLOWED 2 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $3,500.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 2 LITTLE COMMANDER 6/1


# 3 JUMACAO 3/1


# 1 SRTA FAVIOLA O 8/1


LITTLE COMMANDER looks strong to best this field. Seems to have a very good class edge based on the most recent company kept. SRTA FAVIOLA O - Will most likely go to the lead and could never look back.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Delta Downs

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 10 - Maiden Claiming - 6.5f on the Dirt. Purse: $11000 Class Rating: 53

FOR MAIDENS, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX YEARS OLD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 120 LBS.; OLDER, 123 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $10,000.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 8 VALID PROSPECTOR 5/2


# 1 CREOLE SUMMER 9/5


# 11 JOE CHASE 7/2


VALID PROSPECTOR is the best wager in this race. Has been running admirably lately and will almost certainly be on the lead early on. CREOLE SUMMER - Make a note that this entrant runs with second time Lasix today. Well above average win rate at this distance/surface. JOE CHASE - Is worth careful consideration and may be a bet - strong Equibase Speed Figs (50 average) at today's distance and surface lately. Trainer has strong win rate (16 percent) at this distance and surface.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Turf Paradise - Race #3 - Post: 1:44pm - Claiming - 5.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $7,100 Class Rating: 70

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#3 JUDY KAY (ML=2/1)
#6 RED SPRING (ML=3/1)


JUDY KAY - I like that most recent race on Dec 7th at Turf Paradise where she ran second. I took a look at this filly's finishes. She's almost always on the board. Filly is a few starts into a comeback here. Should give a good performance today. RED SPRING - I like to bet on this handicapping theory, a pony coming back off a solid effort within the last month. This filly is entered to race right back into a race in less than 10 days; this is a positive sign. Just check out her last speed rating, 75. That one fits in this group.

Vulnerable Contenders: #2 MOOSSA'S LEGACY (ML=9/5), #5 RIGHT TO GLORY (ML=7/2),

MOOSSA'S LEGACY - The chalk horse is vulnerable here with the lack of workouts. RIGHT TO GLORY - Finished third in her most recent race with a run-of-the-mill speed figure. When I look at today's class rating, it would take an improved performance to score after that in this group.


STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Play #3 JUDY KAY to win if you can get odds of 5/2 or more

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [3,6]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Pass