Game of the Day: Wake Forest at Boston College
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Boston College Eagles (-3, 48.5)
Wake Forest and Boston College look to build on season-opening wins over FCS opponents when the teams begin ACC play in Chestnut Hill on Friday. Boston College marked coach Steve Addazio’s debut with a 24-14 win over Villanova last week, while Wake Forest forced six turnovers and allowed only two first downs in a 31-7 win over Presbyterian. Nine of the last 10 meetings in the series have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
Boston College finished 2-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play last season, but there were some encouraging signs in the win over Villanova. Senior linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis had a team-high 12 tackles to lead the Eagles’ defense, which finished 100th in the nation in total yards allowed last season. The unit needs another strong performance against the Demon Deacons and freshman wide receiver Jonathan Williams, who had five catches for 143 yards in his first game.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2.
LINE: Boston College opened at -1 and has been bet up to a field-goal favorite. The total opened at 48 and has climb half a point to 48.5.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the mid 50s with clear skies and winds blowing SSW at 4 mph.
ABOUT WAKE FOREST (1-0): The Demon Deacons, picked to finish fourth in the ACC Atlantic Division, expect to have All-ACC receiver Michael Campanaro back after he missed last Saturday’s game with a sore hamstring. Campanaro’s return would be a welcome boost for a Wake Forest team that ranked 116th nationally in scoring last season and failed to establish the run in the season opener. The Demon Deacons are hoping for a bounce-back effort from sophomore kicker Chad Hedlund, who missed two of three field goal attempts against Presbyterian.
ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (1-0): Senior running back Andre Williams carried 23 times for 114 yards last week, but he left the game with a hamstring injury and could miss Friday’s contest. If Williams is forced to sit out, the Eagles will rely heavily on quarterback Chase Rettig and wide receiver Alex Amidon, who had a career-high 13 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown against Villanova. Redshirt freshman Bobby Wolford, who switched from linebacker to fullback last month, made an immediate impact last week with 84 receiving yards and a touchdown.
TRENDS:
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last six meetings in Boston College.
* Demon Deacons are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 road games.
* Under is 19-7-1 in Eagles' last 27 conference games.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Boston College has lost two straight to Wake Forest following four consecutive victories.
2. After playing a total of 22 true freshmen in his first 12 years at Wake Forest, coach Jim Grobe used 10 first-year players against Presbyterian.
3. Boston College senior K Nate Freese has made 52 of his 63 career field-goal attempts.
Where the action is: NFL mid-week line moves
The weekend is almost here, which means the first NFL Sunday of the season is drawing closer. We talk to sportsbooks about the betting action on Week 1’s slate of games and where those odds could end up come kickoff.
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns – Open: Pick: Move: -1
Both these teams are expected to improve on their 2012 marks, however, there can only be one winner in this Week 1 test. This spread has teetered on the pick’em since opening this spring but recent money has made Cleveland a slight home favorite.
“On Sunday, we got wiseguy play on Cleveland at pick’em, so moved to the current number of Browns 1,” Mike Perry of Sportsbook.com tells Covers. “Sixty-eighth percent of the money is back Cleveland.”
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Open: +7.5, Move: +9.5, Move: +10.5
Ever since the Bills QBs started dropping like flies, money on the Patriots has pushed this spread up as many as three points at some books. Buffalo will march out rookie passer E.J. Manuel in Week 1 and that’s enough to convince the majority of bettors to like New England.
“The New England Patriots were seeing 82 percent of the action as 9.5-point favorites on the road against the Buffalo Bills (18 percent),” SportsInteraction.com’s Frank Doyle says.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Open: -3, Move: -3.5
Books opened this NFC East grudge match at a field goal but wiseguy money on the home side has forced them to tack on the half-point hook for this Sunday Night Football showdown. According to Sportsbook.com, 65 percent of the action was on the Cowboys at -3. Now, since the adjustment, that lean has been trimmed to 60 percent.
“I didn’t think we would move off three on this game, but on Monday we got sharp action on Dallas, so moved them to -3.5,” says Perry.
Houston Texans at San Diego Chargers – Open: +3, Move: +4, Move: +5.5
The final Monday Night Football game of Week 1 will undoubtedly draw a ton of money from bettors either looking to build on their earlier winnings or chasing their losses from Sunday. Some books have taken one-sided money on the Texans and have this spread as big as Houston -5.5.
“This will be the biggest decision for NFL Week 1 for the book,” says Perry. “On Monday, we moved this from Houston -4 to -5 based on heavy action, not sharp action. Wednesday we moved the game again in Houston’s favor, once again because of heavy action, and that’s where it stands now.”
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers – Open: 50.5, Move: 48.5
Maybe it’s Week 1 rust or bettors buying into the Packers’ new dedication to defense, but this total has been trimmed as many as two points at some markets. However, the Packers and Niners topped the total in both meetings last season.
“You could see this coming,” says Doyle. “In a game that means a ton to both teams and features San Francisco’s defense, this total has dropped from 50 at the open to 48.5 now.”
Today's CFL Picks
Calgary at Edmonton
The Stampeders look to build on their 8-0 ATS record in their last 8 games in Week 11 of the season. Calgary is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Stampeders favored by 13. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-3 1/2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST (9/5)Game 491-492: Calgary at Edmonton (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 124.646; Edmonton 111.831
Dunkel Line: Calgary by 13; 52
Vegas Line: Calgary by 3 1/2; 56 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-3 1/2); Under
NCAA Football Game Picks
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Time Posted: 11:00 p.m. EST (9/3)Game 303-304: Wake Forest at Boston College (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wake Forest 79.816; Boston College 79.722
Dunkel Line: Even; 53
Vegas Line: Boston College by 3; 48 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+3); OverGame 483-484: Central Florida at Florida International (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Florida 91.475; Florida International 76.964
Dunkel Line: Central Florida by 14 1/2; 50
Vegas Line: Central Florida by 24 1/2; 53
Dunkel Pick: Florida International (+24 1/2); Under
RAS (Top Play)
1.5 unit Central Florida
Chris Justice
CFB
UCF-24
StatFox Super Situations - FoxSheets
CFB UCF at FLA INTERNATIONAL
Play On - Favorites of 12 to 17.5 vs. the first half line (UCF) after allowing 5.5 or less passing yards per attempt last game, with an experienced QB returning as starter
46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% 26.2 units )
Wake Forest opens ACC play at B.C. on Friday
by Marcus Keirns
Kickoff: Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Boston College -3, Total: 48.5
Wake Forest travels north to Boston College Friday night as the two schools look to get ACC play started on a positive note.
Since the Eagles arrived in the ACC, the two teams have split their 10 matchups, with the Demon Deacons holding the 6-4 ATS advantage. Boston College was able to get a 24-14 victory in their season opener over FCS school Villanova, but it was definitely a struggle. The Eagles found themselves down 14-7 in the first quarter after the Wildcats pulled off an incredible fake punt for a touchdown. However, the offense eventually got rolling behind quarterback Chase Rettig. The senior completed 23-of-30 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Eagles escape with a victory. Not only did the offense do a great job of passing the ball, but RB Andre Williams gave them 114 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He left with an apparent hamstring injury, but is still expected to play in the ACC opener. The defense of Boston College got things going as well, shutting out the Villanova offense for the final three quarters of the game. The secondary was especially key, intercepting three passes and giving up only 158 yards. The one negative was the 197 rushing yards allowed, but a nearly quarter of those came on that 47-yard fake punt. However, the defense will have to step up even more, as they are going up against a Demon Deacons offense that has some playmakers. One of those playmakers is freshman receiver Jonathan Williams, who had 143 receiving yards on five catches in the 31-7 season opening victory over FCS school Presbyterian. The 6-foot-4 freshman from Atlanta gives quarterback Tanner Price a big receiver that can go up and catch the ball at its highest point. He complements a rushing attack that had 189 yards in the opener, doing it by committee with eight players gaining more than a dozen yards. Like their offense, they have playmakers on defense, like sophomore LB Brandon Chubb who took back an interception 29 yards for a touchdown to go along with seven tackles. The defense had a dominating performance, allowing only 151 total yards of offense, including just 49 through the air. The Eagles were just 2-6 ATS in ACC play last year, but were 2-1 ATS as a favorite. The Demon Deacons were 2-3 ATS on the road and 4-4 ATS in conference games.
Tanner Price was outstanding in Wake's 28-14 victory over Boston College last season, throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns. The Demon Deacons completely dominated the game last season, forcing four turnovers while also winning the time of possession by a wide margin of 34:46 to 25:14. Last year, WR Michael Campanaro pulled down three touchdown catches against the Eagles and finished with 16 receptions for 123 yards. He was inactive versus Presbyterian because of a hamstring injury, but said he is back to 100 percent this week and looking to have a game similar to last season. While Williams is the tall receiver, Campanaro is the short speedster at 5-foot-11. These two will complement each other very well and could prove to be one of the best receiving duos in the conference. With their performance in week one, Wake Forest will enter the game with the No. 1 ranked defense in both total yards as well as pass defense. Kicker Chad Hedlund was the one glaring negative though, making only one of three field goal attempts, and it will be interesting if Wake Forest’s coaching staff gives him another chance this week.
Even though it wasn’t pretty, Boston College was able to get the Steve Addazio era started on a positive note with Saturday's victory. In his career, Rettig has thrown for 6,538 yards and 37 touchdowns, and at 6-foot-3, he is able to stand in the pocket and make throws over the defensive line to his receivers. Rettig is 1-2 in his career against the Demon Deacons, and has struggled against the defense, throwing six interceptions. He must avoid turning the ball over like he did four times in the last loss to Wake, and manage the game, by letting Williams get a lot of carries in this game as well. On defense, the Eagles are going to have their hands full with the pass-catching duo of Campanaro and Williams. With his size, Boston College is going to have to have a safety over the top at all times. Not only is Williams big, but he also has a burst of speed that allows him to create separation from the cornerback. Rettig’s favorite target is receiver Alex Amidon, as he was able to catch 13 passes for 146 yards last week. Amidon has also had major success against Wake Forest in his career, including 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Demon Deacons last season. Home field wasn’t kind to Boston College as they went 2-4 SU (but 4-2 ATS) at home. With a win on Saturday, they will have tied last season's victory total of two.
Friday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Friday's American League games:
Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles (-163, 8.5)
Hot pitching stat: Orioles right-hander Scott Feldman has allowed just five runs over his last four starts, going 2-1 over that stretch.
Cold batting stat: Baltimore 1B Chris Davis is hitting .253/.355/.519 in the second half after slugging .315/.392/.717 prior to the All-Star break.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with sunny skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The White Sox are 7-19 in their last 26 Friday games.
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (+100, 9)
Hot pitching stat: Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte allowed three unearned runs over 6 2/3 solid innings to earn the win in his last start against Boston, improving to 20-11 lifetime versus the Red Sox.
Hot batting stat: Boston DH David Ortiz is a career .371 hitter in 62 at-bats against Pettitte, though he has just one home run off him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The Yankees are 7-2 in Pettitte's last nine starts against Boston.
Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins (+111, 8)
Cold pitching stat: Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has surrendered 29 home runs in 29 starts - five more than he allowed in 33 starts during his 2012 National League Cy Young Award-winning season.
Cold batting stat: Toronto 1B Edwin Encarnacion has just one hit - a solo home run - in 11 career at-bats against Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Toronto has won 14 of the last 18 meetings in Minnesota.
Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals (-102, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA in two starts against the Royals this season.
Cold batting stat: Detroit OF Torii Hunter has just one RBI and 11 strikeouts in 43 career at-bats against Kansas City starter James Shields.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to left-center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Under is 18-7-1 in the last 26 meetings in Kansas City.
Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics (-265, 8)
Hot pitching stat: Athletics right-hander A.J. Griffin dominated Tampa Bay in his last touting, allowing one run on five hits while fanning seven over seven innings of a 5-1 win.
Hot batting stat: Members of the Oakland roster are hitting a combined .311 against Houston starter Dallas Keuchel.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s under clear skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The under is 10-1 in Detroit's last 11 Friday home games.
Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels (-104, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson has been perfect in the second half, going 5-0 with a 3.32 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break.
Hot batting stat:Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler is a career .462 hitter in 13 at-bats against Wilson, while 3B Adrian Beltre is hitting .367 with four doubles and a homer in 30 at-bats.
Weather:Temperatures will be in the low-80s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 18-7-1 in the last 26 meetings.
Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners (+104, 7)
Hot pitching stat: Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma is limiting left-handed hitters to a .214/.249/.348 slash line in 375 at-bats.
Cold batting stat: Seattle hitters are a combined .190 with 18 strikeouts in 63 at-bats against Tampa starter Alex Cobb.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with a 30 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow out to left-center field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 5-2-1 in Iwakuma's last eight home starts.
Interleague
New York Mets at Cleveland Indians (-162, OFF)
Cold pitching stat: Cleveland left-handerScott Kazmir is 0-3 with a 7.11 ERA over his last four starts.
Cold batting stat: Indians 1B Nick Swisher is batting just 3-for-26 over the last seven days.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s under sunny skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The Mets have won nine of starter Zack Wheeler's last 11 appearances.
** Odds, probable starters, stats and weather forecast as of 9:35 p.m. ET Thursday.
Friday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet
Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Friday's National League games:
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (+100, OFF)
Hot pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings against the Cubs this season.
Cold batting stat: Chicago OF Nate Schierholtz is the only Cubs player with a home run against Lohse.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left-center field at 7 mph.
Key betting note: The Brewers have won seven of Lohse's last nine starts.
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (-104, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee is 1-3 with a 3.80 ERA since the All-Star break, compared to 10-3, 2.86 in 19 first-half starts.
Cold batting stat: John Mayberry Jr. and Jimmy Rollins are a combined 3-for-21 against Braves lefty Mike Minor.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with sunny skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The over is 11-3-1 in Philadelphia's last 15 Friday home games.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Cincinnati Reds (-128, 9)
Cold pitching stat: Reds right-hander Mike Leake is 1-2 with a 7.22 ERA over his last six starts.
Hot batting stat: Cincinnati 2B Brandon Phillips is a .400 hitter with four doubles and a home run in 35 career at-bats against Dodgers left-hander Chris Capuano.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with sunny skies. Wind will be calm.
Key betting note: The over is 9-4 in Leake's last 13 home starts.
Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins (-137, 6.5)
Hot pitching stat: Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last nine starts.
Cold batting stat: Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche is batting .200 in 140 at-bats since the All-Star break.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with a 25 percent chance of a thunderstorm. Wind will blow from right to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: The Marlins have won Fernandez's last nine home outings.
Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (-115, 7.5)
Hot pitching stat: Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett limited St. Louis to a run on four hits over seven innings of a 7-1 Pittsburgh victory in their last encounter six days ago.
Cold batting stat: Cardinals C Yadier Molina is just 4-for-23 lifetime versus Burnett.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from right to left field at 6 mph.
Key betting note: Pittsburgh is 9-4 in its last 13 Friday games.
Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres (+101, 7.5)
Cold pitching stat: Rockies right-hander Juan Nicasio was torched for six runs over 4 1/3 innings in a loss to Cincinnati in his last start.
Hot batting stat: Padres 3B Chase Headley has dominated Nicasio in his career, going 6-for-9 with a pair of home runs against him.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 4 mph.
Key betting note: The over is 10-4-1 in Nicasio's last 15 road starts.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (+105, 7)
Cold pitching stat: Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin has lost back-to-back starts, allowing 14 runs on 16 hits over 10 1/3 innings in that stretch.
Hot batting stat: Giants OF Hunter Pence is 6-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs against Corbin.
Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 5 mph.
Key betting note: The Diamondbacks have won 22 of Corbin's last 28 starts.
** Odds, probable starters, stats and weather forecast as of 10:10 p.m. ET Thursday.
BeatYourBookie
FRIDAY
10* Play Wake Forest +3 over Boston College (NCAA TOP PLAY)
8:00 PM EST
Boston College is 2-11 ATS when playing in the 1st half of the season
Boston College is 6-10 ATS vs. conference opponents the last two seasons
10* Play FIU +24.5 over Central Florida (NCAA TOP PLAY)
8:00 PM EST
Central Florida is 4-9 ATS in road games the last two seasons
Central Florida is 1-8 ATS coming off a home win
THE GOLD SHEET
CFB
*Wake Forest 24 - BOSTON COLLEGE 20—They’ve hit the re-set button at
BC after Frank Spaziani’s failed regime, but early evidence of upgrades under
new HC Steve Addazio (ex-Temple) were hard to identify in Villanova opener.
Wake sr. QB Tanner Price has outpitched BC counterpart Chase Rettig the past
two years, and Deacs may have uncovered a new downfield threat in soph WR
Jonathan Williams, who caught 143 yards worth of passes in opening win vs.
the Presbyterian Blue Hose. TV—ESPN2
UCF 40 - FLORIDA INTL. 13 —Someone should have told FIU AD Pete
Garcia that his new HC Ron Turner was past his sell-by date nearly a decade
ago when fired at Illinois, as suggested by Maryland calling off the dogs in 3rd Q
of opening romp at College Park. And it’s no easier this week for outmanned
FIU vs. confidence-soaring UCF and dart-throwing QB Blake Bortles (314 YP &
3 TDP in romp vs. Akron). HC George O’Leary also not about to waste a trip to
recruit-rich Miami for ascending Knights.
THE SPORTS REPORTER
CFB
*BOSTON COLLEGE over WAKE FOREST by 3
Mr. Joe Physical Head Coach Steve Addazio, in his Year One at Boston College,
can puff out his chest and try to motivate his squad by telling them that they’re
wimps for losing to Wake Forest the last two seasons, by 14 and 9 points, with -3
and -1 Turnover Ratios, only 25:14 and 27:50 possession times, and more yardage allowed in each loss. But in the back of his mind, he has to know that since
they ran the ball 40 times for only 128 yards down in class against Villanova last
Saturday, he’ll have a bunch of wimps on his hands until proven otherwise. Also,
why did they need to throw 13 receptions to one guy in an opener? Shouldn’t they
have been spreading it around more? Seems like Wake’s defense will have more
difficult assignments down the road. Wake’s offense did nothing but run the ball
in the second half of their opening 31-7 win against Presbyterian. More to come
from them.
BOSTON COLLEGE, 23-20.
CENTRAL FLORIDA over *FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL by 26
FIU’s Ron Turner era (say it repeatedly and try hard not to laugh) began with
Maryland doing whatever it wanted to do on offense…in the first half! That it
was Maryland’s offense doing whatever it wanted to do makes a bad outing
worse, since Maryland’s offense hasn’t gotten out of its own way since Randy
Edsall took over. UCF head coach George O’Leary will fiddle a sad tune and cue
the physical mismatch at the line of scrimmage which opens the door for them
to do…whatever they want to do on offense, But with Penn State and South
Carolina on deck, what if they don’t want to do too much? FIU’s offense gained
only 6.6 yards per minute of possession vs. Maryland and is playing an opponent
that habitually dominates clock. Please note the change game date from original
schedule, folks.
CENTRAL FLORIDA, 36-10.
POINTWISE
CFB
BOSTON COLLEGE 23 - Wake Forest 17 - (8:00 - ESPN2) -- Deacons flexed
"D" muscles, holding powerhouse Presbyterian to 2 FDs LW, but Price just a
pedestrian 14-of-25. BC has USC & FloridaSt on deck, is on 4-14 ATS slide, is at
15.3 ppg in last 7 LGs, & try only 124 RYs vs Villanova. But Retting 23-of-30 in
that one. Host has covered last 8 Eagle games, & Wake -59 pts ATS last 3 LGs
WISE POINTS
BOSTON COLLEGE - WAKE FOREST: Eagles were 4-0 series play (4, 5, 3,
7 pt covers), before 27-19, 28-14 Deac (Pick, -3½) wins last 2 yrs. Price & Retting
last 2 meetings: 545 PYs each, but just 12 RYs for BC LY. WF 0-3 LA, & 7-13 as a
RD. Eags 3-8 LA, & on 2-6 slide in ACC, but 9-2 SU in game #3.
BOST COLL 1*
POWER SWEEP
CFB
Wake Forest at BOSTON COLLEGE - BC had won 4 in a row SU/ATS but WF has now won the L/2 SU/ATS. There have been 5 outright upsets the L10Y but only 1 in the L/4. The previous 9 meetings had been decided by 10 or less. BC (+3) trailed 21-7 at the half but WF only had a 187-141 yd edge. BC, down 28-14, was SOD at the WF7 and ended the game at the WF2 running out of time. Both tms are among the most exp’d and improved in the ACC (WF 15 ret st’rs, BC 18) and both are off non-covering wins over FCS tms. BC has the talent edges but WF has a couple of extra days to prep off a Thur Night gm while BC is on a short week off a Sat gm and taking on an attack running more option. The winner here takes a major step towards getting back to a bowl gm after missing one LY.
Ucf at FIU - The HT is 2-0 SU in this series but FIU is 2-0 ATS. 2Y ago, UCF was -6 on the road and had a 300-238 yd edge but were upset 17-10. LY UCF was -17 at home and dominated the 1H obliterating FIU with a 23-0 lead and a 249-26 yd edge. They did not play with the same intensity in the 2H and only ended up winning 33-20 with FIU gaining 280 yds in the 2H. UCF has a couple of extra days to prep off a Thur night win vs Akron in which they dominated 38-7 (-23). The Knights outgained the Zips 476-250 as QB Bortles had a career day w/314 yds becoming the 1st UCF QB to top 300 yds s/’09. FIU HC Turner’s debut did not go well in a 43-10 loss (+21) to MD. The Panthers found themselves down 40-10 at HT and were outgained by an incredible 402-54 yd margin before the Terps eased off the gas in the 2H. UCF has large talent edges across the board (off #50-116, def #69-117, ST #43-90) but will they be peeking ahead to Penn St?
POWER PLAYS
CFB
WAKE FOREST vs BOSTON COLLEGE
Boston College had won 4 in a row SU and ATS but Wake Forest has now won the L/2 SU and ATS. The previous 9 meetings had been decided by 10 points or less. Both are off FCS wins needing another after failing to reach a bowl last year.
NO PLAY: BOSTON COLLEGE 30 WAKE FOREST 13
UCF vs FIU
UCF dominated Akron last week (38-7, -23) and FIU was dominated by MD (43-10, +21) but the home team is 2-0 SU and FIU is 2-0 ATS.
NO PLAY: UCF 37 FIU 19
WINNING POINTS
CFB
Wake Forest over Boston College* by 1
Boston College turned away Villanova in Steve Addazio’s maiden voyage, but the
Eagles were underwhelming. Wake Forest has a gnarly defense and a good nucleus
of fifth-year players, but can we trust the Deacons after they played so poorly at
the tail end of last season?
WAKE FOREST 21-20.
Central Florida over Florida Intl* by 27
Because his team is so young, FIU HC Ron Turner is keeping things simple. That
translated into a woeful performance at Maryland. It looks like another stroll in
the park for UCF, but George O’Leary may be quick to yank his starters with Penn
State on deck.
CENTRAL FLORIDA 37-10.
WINNING POINTS
BASEBALL SELECTIONS
BEGINNING FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6
L.A. Dodgers at Cincinnati (3) 6th, 7th, 8th
The Reds draw another tough assignment, as they look to at least
hold on to the final NL wild-card slot,while at the same time attempting to overtake the Pirates & Cardinals for the division title. They were hammered by the red-hot Dodgers in LA, dropping 3 of 4 in their earlier meeting (-$200) and we’re not anxious to take on the surging visitor.The Dodgers are 31-15 vs.righties on the road this year
(+$1800) and their pitching looks fantastic (1.73 ERA in the last 10 days).
BEST BET: Dodgers vs. righthanders.
Pittsburgh at St. Louis (3) 6th, 7th, 8th
The Pirates have gotten the best of it in head to head play against St. Louis (10-6, $510) and they have a distinct advantage when they send lefties to the mound (Cards 16-21 vs. southpaws in 2013, averaging just 3.9 runs per game on offense).The Bucs are a solid moneymaker outside of PNC Park (+$780) and they’ve bolstered theiroffense with key deadline trades. Great value on the visitor at Busch Stadium this weekend.
BEST BET: Lefthanders vs. the Cardinals.
Texas at L.A. Angels (3) 6th, 7th, 8th
It look a while but the Angels seem to be getting hot late in the season (8-1, +$880 in the last 10 days) and might make a tempting spoiler in the AL West. But Texas has dominated LA in their prior meetings (10-2, +$780) and they’ve been deadly in night games on the road (31-17, +$1435).We’ll proceed with a certain amount of caution, but if the visitor is available at a reasonable price we’ll look for the host team to come up short. The Angels have lost a fortune at home in 2013 (-$2340).
BEST BET: Rangers at -115 or less in night games
Tampa Bay at Seattle (3) 6th, 7th, 8th
The Rays are coming off a drubbing courtesy of the Athletics, falling well of the pace in the AL East behind Boston,and now must concern themselves with merely holding onto the final AL wild-card slot (3-7, -$580 in their last 10, averaging just 2.8 runs per game).Their sputtering offense will be seriously tested at Safeco Field, with both
Hisashi Iwakuma (2.87 ERA in 290 starts) and Felix Hernandez (2.83 in 28 starts) slated to make appearances. Good opportunity for the home team to play the spoiler.
BEST BET: Iwakuma/F. Hernandez.
N.Y. Mets at Cleveland (3) 6th, 7th, 8th
The Indians have stumbled in recent days (3-6, -$215 in their last 10, averaging just 2.8 runs per game on offense), but they are sill very much alive in the wildcard picture, due in large part to Tampa’s recent difficulties. The Mets could cause them some difficulties at Progressive Field when Scott Kazmir (4.36 ERA) is on the hill. New
York has turned a fat profit vs. lefthanders outside of CitiField (+$960) and it’s worth noting that they’ve made money in interleague play as well (+$505).
BEST BET: Mets vs. lefthanders.
PLAYBOOK / MARC LAWRENCE
CFB
Wake Forest over BOSTON COLLEGE by 1
When the Demon Deacons fell behind 7-0 to lowly Presbyterian just four
minutes into last Thursday’s lid-lifter, HC Jim Grobe’s realtor was caught
by the stadium-cam looking downright giddy. But Wake woke up and
pitched a 31-0 shutout the rest of the way to take a little heat off the
embattled Grobe. Boston College exhibited a similar M.O. in its opener,
trailing 14-7 at the half to FCS opponent Villanova but tightening the
defensive screws thereafter for a 24-14 win. Though 2nd-year BC head
coach Steve Addazio is feeling some heat of his own after last season’s
disappointing 2-10 debut, Grobe enters his 13th year in Winston-Salem
under intense pressure to qualify for a bowl berth – especially since Wake
has not posted a winning season since 2008. The Deacs do return players
totaling 146 starts on offense (including QB Tanner Price, his favorite
WR and top two RBs) and 158 on defense but the Eagles counter with
16 returning starters of their own, lead by QB Chase Rettig and all four
of the team’s top linebackers. New BC offensive coordinator Ryan Day
has been praised by Philadelphia Eagles’ HC Chip Kelly as “One of the
brightest minds and best coaches in the country.” However, the bottom
line is that Day represents the squad’s 4th OC in as many years and it
may take a few more weeks for him to mind-meld with his signal-caller.
Boston College has not enjoyed its last three home openers, losing all
three on the scoreboard and against the number, while Grobe can at
least claim a 4-1 SU and 3-1-1 ATS effort in his last four ACC openers. In
what shapes up as an interesting early-season quarterback duel between
Price and Rettig, we’ll lean to the slightly-more-desperate visitors from
Confederate country.
Ucf over FLORIDA INT’L by 25
This potential blowout shifts from a noon Saturday start to Friday evening
because either (1) the previous scheduled kickoff ‘confl icts’ with another
Saturday contest in Miami between the Hurricanes and Gators, or (2)
there are a lot of CBS Sports employees that graduated from UCF and
want to see their Knights behead a competitor in prime time. Regardless,
it looks like all the folks who stifl ed a horselaugh after hearing FIU had
hired Ron Turner to replace Mario Cristobal might be on to something
The Panthers were the epitome of awful last Saturday against Maryland,
trailing the Terps 40-10 at halftime after being outyarded 399-59! Even
so, we’d really like to side with the home pooch here against potentially
disinterested road chalk (UCF steamrolled Akron last week, 38-7), but
new coaches’ record in home debuts – 97-130-2 ATS entering this year
since 1990, including 8-27 ATS when the foe is off a SUATS win – simply
won’t let us. Yes, the win over Akron saw Central Florida’s seniors improve
to 4-0 in Game Ones by a combined tally of 174-28; however, a 1-8 SU
mark in Game Two’s indicates a return to the norm may be in the offi ng
for O’Leary’s crusaders – and frays with Penn State and South Carolina up
next all but confi rms that notion. So does this gem from our powerful
tell-all database: Since 1990, Game Two non-conference road chalk off a
season-opening home win of 30 or more points stands just 11-25-2 ATS
when facing an avenging opponent (Knights beat FIU, 33-20 LY). Even
with the Panthers’ 5-1 ATS mark as home dogs against a foe off a win of
more than 10 points, we can’t pull the trigger with a depthless FIU team
missing its entire OL and RB corps from 2012. Better to watch and wait…
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