Saturday 9/5/20 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
St. Louis is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games at home
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Chi Cubs
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of St. Louis's last 15 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs


Chicago Cubs
Chi Cubs is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Chi Cubs is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games
Chi Cubs is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 9 games when playing St. Louis
Chi Cubs is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chi Cubs's last 15 games when playing on the road against St. Louis

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Los Angeles Dodgers
LA Dodgers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Dodgers is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games at home
LA Dodgers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games at home
LA Dodgers is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Colorado
LA Dodgers is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Colorado
LA Dodgers is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Colorado
LA Dodgers is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Colorado


Colorado Rockies
Colorado is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Colorado is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games
Colorado is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Colorado is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 8 games on the road
Colorado is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing LA Dodgers
Colorado is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing LA Dodgers
Colorado is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
Colorado is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Seattle Mariners
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Seattle is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games at home
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Texas
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Texas
Seattle is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing at home against Texas


Texas Rangers
Texas is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games
Texas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games
Texas is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Texas is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Texas's last 10 games on the road
Texas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Texas is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas's last 9 games when playing on the road against Seattle

[Can'tPickAWinner]

San Francisco Giants
San Francisco is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games
San Francisco is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
San Francisco is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
San Francisco is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of San Francisco's last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games at home
San Francisco is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 7 games when playing Arizona
San Francisco is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Arizona
San Francisco is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona


Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona's last 8 games on the road
Arizona is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Francisco
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 7 games when playing San Francisco
Arizona is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Houston Astros
Houston is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games at home
Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing LA Angels
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games when playing LA Angels
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Houston is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games


Los Angeles Angels
LA Angels is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games
LA Angels is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of LA Angels's last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games
LA Angels is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
LA Angels is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games on the road
LA Angels is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Houston
LA Angels is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Angels's last 8 games when playing Houston
LA Angels is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
LA Angels is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston

[Can'tPickAWinner]

TODAY'S NBA PICKS RAPTORS VS. CELTICS & CLIPPERS VS. NUGGETS

Boston tries to go up 3-0 on Toronto while the Clippers and Nuggets begin their Western Conference semifinals series down in the NBA playoffs bubble Thursday night. How are we playing these games with our free NBA playoff picks?

RAPTORS -1/216 VS. CELTICS, 6:30 PM ET, TNT
Boston leads this series two games to none after taking Game 2 Tuesday 102-99. The Celtics trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter Tuesday, then used a 29-9 run to take control and held on from there for the outright victory as dogs of 1.5 points.

Boston only shot 42 percent from the floor on the night but held Toronto to just 40 percent shooting. The Celtics also hit 23/25 from the free-throw line and made several big 3-pointers, most by G Marcus Smart, during their fourth-quarter rally. Meanwhile, the Raptors made just 11/40 from 3-point land.

With Tuesday's victory, Boston is now 6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS in these playoffs.

With Tuesday's loss, Toronto is now 4-2 SU, 3-3 ATS in these playoffs.

Also, the Celtics are now 5-1 both SU and ATS this season against the Raptors, even though Toronto
finished five games ahead of Boston in the final regular-season standings.

On the injury front, the Celtics are still playing without F Gordon Hayward, although they haven't seemed to miss him too much so far.

Free NBA Playoff Pick: We're 0-2 ATS picking this series, taking Toronto both games. The Raptors basically got blown out in Game 1, but they coulda/shoulda won Game 2. Boston seems to have Toronto's number this season, but we still expect this series to go at least six games. We also expect the Raptors to shoot the ball at least a little better than they have through the first two games of this series. We'll stick with the Raptors for Game 3.




CLIPPERS -8.5/223 VS. NUGGETS 9 PM ET, TNT
Los Angeles dispatched of Dallas in six games in their first-round series, finishing it with a 111-97 victory Sunday. So the Clippers are working on three days off, which sounds about perfect.

Meanwhile, Denver rallied from down three games to one against Utah to take that series 4-3, advancing with an 80-78 Game 7 victory Tuesday.

Los Angeles finished 3.5 games ahead of Denver in the final regular-season standings, 49-23 to 46-27. The Clippers also took the season series from the Nuggets two games to one, going 2-1 ATS in the process. Denver won the first meeting back in January 114-104 as a one-point favorite at home, but LA won the next two by scores of 132-103 and 124-111, covering those games as a favorite of seven and six points.

The Clippers shot 51 percent from the floor in those three meetings combined, the Nuggets 48 percent.

This game's line opened with Los Angeles favored by 7.5 points, then got bumped to -8.5 in the early betting action. Also, the total on this game opened at 226, then got bet down to 223.

Free NBA Playoff Pick: The Clippers are the better team here and should win both this game and this series. LA also beat Denver twice during the regular season by more than 8.5 points, and its four wins in the series against Dallas came by 8, 8, 43, and 14 points. We'll give the points here with Los Angeles.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BYU at Navy 9/7/20 - NCAA

The opening weekend of the 2020 College Football season will conclude with an intriguing matchup between the BYU Cougars and the Navy Midshipmen. The independent Cougars lost several marquee games on their schedule due to COVID-19 and have the talent to run through their increasingly less difficult modified slate of games. Junior QB Zach Wilson returns to lead the offense, after throwing for 2,382 and 11 touchdowns a season ago.

Head coach Kalani Sitake returns his entire offensive line and senior TE Matt Bushman will be counted on to be the top receiving threat. The BYU defense ranked 78th in the nation in rushing defense and allowed 167.5 yards per game in 2019.

The Navy Midshipmen are coming off a successful 2019 campaign that saw them win 11 games, including a 20-17 Liberty Bowl victory against Kansas State. The Midshipmen run the triple option for 14th year head coach Ken Niumatalolo and averaged 37.2 points per contest. Navy will have to replace QB Malcolm Perry, who led his team to a national best 360.5 yards rushing per game in 2019.

Junior FB Jamale Carothers will be counted on to pick up the slack offensively, after rushing for 734 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Navy defense returns six starters from a defense that limited opponents to 22.3 points per game last year.

Recent Betting Trends

Cougars are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
Midshipmen are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games.
Under is 7-2 in Cougars last 9 games in September.
Under is 15-7-1 in Cougars last 23 road games.
Under is 5-2 in Midshipmen last 7 home games.

Free NCAAF Pick: BYU Cougars +1

These two squads expect to have winning seasons and this will be a good early measuring stick. BYU has the advantage of having extra time to prepare for Navy’s triple-option attack. Look for BYU to pull away in the second half for a ten-point victory. Final Score Prediction, BYU Cougars win and cover ATS 31-21.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Stephen F. Austin at UTEP 9/5/20 - College Football

On Saturday September 5th, the Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks visit the UTEP Miners at the Sun Bowl to open the college football regular season for both. Stephen F Austin was 3-9 overall last season and 3-6 in the Southland Conference. The season started poorly for the Lumberjacks as they lost each of their first four games before defeating Lamar in Week 5. Head coach Colby Carthel returns for his second year at the helm along with Matt Storm the offensive coordinator and Scott Power the defensive coordinator.

Trae Self returns as the starting quarterback for SFA. Last season Self threw for 2,550 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Top running back Da’Leon Ward returns after rushing for 471 yards and one touchdown in 2019. The top wide receivers returning for Stephen F. Austin is Xavier Gipson who caught 52 passes for 934 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019.

The UTEP Miners suffered through a poor season in 2019 going 1-11 overall and 0-8 in the Conference-USA. The offense scored just 235 points and finished 116th in total offense. Gavin Hardison, a transfer, will start at quarterback but could be pressed by JUOO transfer Isaiah Bravo. Jacob Cowing is the Miners deep threat at wideout, while Justin Garrett caught the most passes a season ago with 40 and returns. Quardraiz Wadley returns as the leading rushing from last season with 627 yards and seven TDs.

The defense gave up over 200 yards per game on the ground last season. Praise Amaewhule is the leading tackler returning from last season on the defensive line, while transfer Jadrian Taylor adds pass rushing abilities at one end and Derick Simpson anchors the inside. The linebackers will be led by Jayson VanHook who had 52 tackles last season and transfer Tyrice Knight will help. The secondary lost three players who were the three leading tacklers on defense a season ago, but the two starting cornerbacks return.

Recent Betting Trends

Stephen F Austin is 1-4 ATS in its last 5
The OVER has cashed in 4 of the Lumberjacks last 5
UTEP is 1-5 ATS in its last 6
The OVER has cashed in 4 of the Miners last 5

Free NCAAF Pick: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

The UTEP Miners are coming off a horrendous season in which they just won one game and were 0-8 in conference play. The Miners allowed 30 points or more in 10 games last season and lost their three top tacklers on defense. Stephen F Austin’s season was not anything to brag about but has a solid returning offense that should move the ball up and down the field against the porous UTEP defense. Final Score Prediction, Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks win and cover ATS 24-23.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arkansas State at Memphis 9/5/20 – College Football

Blake Anderson is coming into another season to lead the Red Wolves. He has been the headman of the Red Wolves since 2014 and is guaranteed to be at the top spot until 2023. He has ended up getting the Sun Belt title twice and has managed to lead the Red Wolves to 6 different bowl appearances.

With the Red Wolves they are returning Layne Hatcher on the year as the starting quarterback. Hatcher has thrown a total of 2946 yards and has ended up getting 27 touchdowns, but has been picked off only 10 times. Marcell Murray is the leading running back who is coming back and he was the leader last year for the Red Wolves as well. Murray ended up with 170 carries, but only getting 820 yards with 6 touchdowns.

Memphis is a team that has some question marks as a couple of running backs have talked about opting out. However, the Tigers are a team that has quite a bit of depth and that could really help Memphis in getting some good games here and potentially get some good wins on the year.

Brady White is the projected starting quarterback for the Tigers. White has thrown a total of 4014 yards with 33 touchdowns, but only ended up with 11 picks. Kenneth Gainwell is the running back who is rumored to opt out on the year, but he is also the running back that led the Tigers last year. Gainwell ended up carrying the ball 231 times for 1459 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Free NCAAF Pick: Arkansas State Red Wolves +19

The Tigers are a good team, but they have quite a few question marks. One of the biggest question marks is who is going to be the starting running back if Gainwell opts out on the year. If he opts out this game will be quite a bit closer and that will be what the pick is based off of is Gainwell not coming back in the game, but even then the Tigers win the game, but not as big as they should. Final Score Prediction, Memphis Tigers win but do not cover ATS 31-21.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Houston Baptist at North Texas 9/5/20 - College Football

The Houston Baptist Huskies visit Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas on Saturday to play the North Texas Mean Green. Houston Baptist finished 5-7 last season and was 2-6 in Southland Conference action, where they finished next-to-last in the conference standings. Head coach Vic Shealy returns for the Huskies as does quarterback Bailey Zappe, who is back for a final season. The Huskies will play just three non-conference games this fall before moving the rest of their schedule to the spring.

Last season, Zappe threw for 3,811 yards and 35 touchdowns, and led the FCS with 35 TD passes, completions with 357, attempts with 560, while finishing second in yards. Ben Ratzlaff returns as Zappe’s favorite target after catching 87 receptions a season ago for 1,139 yards with 12 TDs. Jerreth Sterns also returns and last season caught 105 passes for 833 yards with nine TDs. Eight starters on defense return with the linebackers corps the heart and soul of that side of the line of scrimmage.

The North Texas offense disappointed in 2019 as the Mean Green finished 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the Conference-USA. Head coach Seth Littrell returns to lead a passing oriented attack that averaged 283 yards per game through the air in 2019. Jason Bean and Austin Aune will be the top two candidates to start on Saturday at quarterback. Tre Siggers led the running game last season with 853 yards and six touchdowns and returns as does DeAndre Torrey who rushed for 380 yards and two TDs.

Jaylon Darden returns as the top receiver who last season caught 76 passes with 12 for touchdowns, while Greg White and Jason Pirtle have size at tight end. The defense has a new coordinator in Clint Bowen from Kansas. Linebackers Tyreke Davis and KD Davis, who combined for 168 tackles last season, return but the line must replace its top pass rusher and the secondary lost its top three tacklers and has plenty of holes to fill.

Recent Betting Trends

Houston Baptist is 4-1 ATS in its last 5
The UNDER has cashed in 3 of the Huskies last 5
North Texas is 1-7 ATS in its last 8
The UNDER has cashed in 4 of the Mean Green’s last 6 played during Week 1

Free NCAAF Pick: North Texas Mean Green

North Texas will use its bigger offensive line and talented running backs to establish a running game against the FCS Houston Baptist Huskies and wear down the front four and linebackers as well as open passing lanes to attack downfield. On defense, the Mean Green linebacker duo of KD Davis and Tyreke Davis will prevent Houston Baptist from moving the ball on offense. Final Score Prediction, North Texas Mean Green win and cover ATS 37-7.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SMU at Texas State 9/5/20 – College Football

SMU is coming into the game here with what could potentially be a good run on the year. As a lot of the teams dropped out of the competition some of them were the teams that could have been able to blow out the Mustangs. Now, the Mustangs are coming back with a fairly intact roster.

The starting quarterback is coming back for the Mustangs on the year with Shane Buechele. Buechele has thrown for 3929 yards, but he ended up in the year with 34 touchdowns and a total of 10 picks in the year. The leading rusher for the Mustangs that is coming back is TJ McDaniel. Last season McDaniel carried the ball only 41 times with 236 yards, but he did get 3 touchdowns on the year.

Texas State is coming into the game here with a potential to play 12 games. The Bobcats are now going to open the year against the SMU team and it could be a major upset if the Bobcats can keep the game close or even better pull off the upset. Look for the game to be a back and forth battle here, but the Bobcats are one team that can pull off the upset if needed.

Tyler Vitt is coming back to lead the Bobcats at the quarterback position. Vitt has thrown for a total of 1590 yards with 11 touchdowns, but he did end up getting picked off 14 times. Robert Brown Jr. is coming back to be the leading rusher for the Bobcats as the returning starter. He carried the ball a total of 28 times for 161 yards and a touchdown last year.

Free NCAAF Pick: SMU Mustangs -22

The Bobcats are bringing in a returning quarterback, but the returning running back from the team last year only had 28 carries in the season. That will lead to the Bobcats having to find a consistent running back in the game and that could take its toll and put too much pressure on Vitt in the game and that will eventually cost the Bobcats. Final Score Prediction, SMU Mustangs win and cover ATS 48-7.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Middle Tennessee at Army 9/5/20 - College Football

This year the Blue Raiders had to add some games to make up for the games that were lost due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the Blue Raiders are a team that needs to make a statement game right out of the game. The Army team could definitely give the Blue Raiders that chance as the Black Knights have been a good team in the past and that should carry over to this game here.

Coming to the game here Asher O’Hara is coming in as the starting quarterback. Last year he ended up throwing the ball for 2616 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he was picked off 8 times in the game. Now on the downside O’Hara is going to be the starting running back in the game here as well as the quarterback. Last year he carried the ball 199 times for 1044 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground.

With the Black Knights they are going to look to replicate some of their strong play from last season. The Black Knights looked impressive with the ground game at times, but if Army fell behind they would end up having issues in the game. Look for the Army team to have some great games this year, but only if their running game gets going good.

Jabari Laws is the starting quarterback for the projected game here. Laws has ended up with a total of 311 yards passed and a touchdown, but was not picked off. The top rusher that is coming back in the game for the Black Knights is Sandon McCoy. McCoy ended up carrying the ball 134 times with 576 yards on the year with a total of 10 touchdowns,

Recent Betting Trends

Blue Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog.
Black Knights are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games in September.
Over is 5-0-1 in Blue Raiders last 6 non-conference games.
Over is 4-0 in Black Knights last 4 home games.

Free NCAAF Pick: Army Black Knights -3.5

Both of these teams have to figure out some aspects of their game. However, the Black Knights have a great offense that can grind down the clock. The Blue Raiders for their part are coming into the game here with a fairly one dimensional offense as it relies on a single player to control their offense and that can make difference in the game here as the Black Knights can key in on O’Hara and contain him. Final Score Prediction, Army Black Knights win and cover ATS 27-21.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Eastern Kentucky at Marshall 9/5/20 - College Football

Eastern Kentucky is a team that is coming into the game here with some potential, but have not played at the top tier since November. Now, the Colonels last year did decent with their record in the top level, but now the Colonels are going to open on the road against the Thundering Herd and it is not that bad of a game for the Colonels.

Last year the Colonels were led in the passing game by Parker McKinney who threw the ball for 1367 yards. The downside is McKinney threw only 7 touchdowns, but was picked off 9 times. The returning rushing leader for the Eastern Kentucky team is Alonzo Booth. He had 140 carries for 673 yards, but ended up scoring 14 touchdowns.

Marshall is heading into the game here playing good from last year. The Thundering Herd were able to get a good number of wins last year, but now Thundering Herd are going to have a good match here as they could expect. However, what should have been the opening game the Thundering Herd ended up getting postponed.

A big question mark for the Thundering Herd comes up from who will be playing quarterback. The roster for the Thundering Herd is coming in with 4 freshmen and a sophomore as the potential starters. One thing that the Thundering Herd may have going for them is the fact that Brenden Knox is coming back to start the game at running back. Knox ended up carrying the ball 270 times for 1387 yard and 11 touchdowns.

Free NCAAF Pick: Marshall Thundering Herd

With the Thundering Herd they are coming in playing a little bit better in the game here. Now, the Thundering Herd are one team that is going to welcome this easy game as the Marshall club has to figure out how to play quarterback in the game here. Look for the Thundering Herd to run the game with their rushing attack and that not only controls the clock, but makes it easier for the Marshall quarterback to settle in the game. Final Score Prediction, Marshall Thundering Herd win 31-7.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS VS. ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS PREDICTIONS

PICKS

Middle Tennessee Win +3.5 Point Spread
-120

Under 55.0 Game Totals
-110

Point Spread Pick
Not exactly a full Saturday of college football, but several games to take place here as the Blue Raiders travel to West Point to take on the Black Knights. Neither team had a good season last year, with Middle Tennessee going 4-8 an Army going 5-7. This game is also interesting because Army runs a triple option offense, so you have to wonder how the preparation for this season will affect their gameplan. The advantage for the Blue Raiders is that they have had about a month to prepare for Army compared to what would have probably been a week under normal circumstances. Middle Tennessee returns nine starters on the offensive side of the ball, which includes their quarterback, Asher O’Hara. He passed for over 2,600 yards last season and rushed for over 1,000, showing his duel-threat capabilities.

Army on the other hand, loses their star quarterback from last season, Kelvin Hopkins Jr. plus three offensive linemen. That is going to spell trouble for an offense that relies on chemistry. Their defense’s main weakness is the passing game too, so I expect O’Hara and the returning cast of Blue Raiders, to have their way through the air.

The Blue Raiders are also susceptible to the passing game, but Army is not going to be passing here, so I will gladly take the Blue Raiders to cover in this game and I would not be surprised if they win pretty comfortably. ★★★


Game Totals Pick
Given we have a service academy playing, I think we will be in store for a lower scoring game. Everyone knows Army is going to runs the ball and run the ball often. That will chew the clock and cause less possessions. Army only allowed 23 points per game last season, ranking 41st in the country. Middle Tennessee did allow 29.9 points per game, but again, most of the damage against them was done through the air. They were not the best against the run either in 2019, but with more time to prepare and with Army losing some key starters, I would expect the Blue Raiders to be able to focus enough on the run and be ready. The total is more of a lean at best, but the under is the way I will look. ★

[Can'tPickAWinner]

SOUTHERN METHODIST MUSTANGS VS. TEXAS STATE BOBCATS PREDICTIONS

PICKS

Texas State Win +23.5 Point Spread
-110

Under 69.5 Game Totals
-110

Point Spread Pick
It is the Sun Belt against the American to open the season as the Bobcats of Texas State host the SMU Mustangs as huge underdogs. On another note, we just saw South Alabama win outright against Southern Miss on Thursday as a 14-point dog, so could we have another upset on the cards here? Not so fast as the Mustangs are a far superior team to Southern Miss. I am not counting out a cover by the Bobcats just yet, considering the circumstances that this game will be played under. There is likely going to be ample chances for a back door cover if SMU decides to take their foot off the gas in the second half. There is also no reason for them to run up the score and risk their star players if the game is already decided.

The good news for Texas State is they have a ton of their receivers returning this season. That should help their passing offense that ranked 106th a year ago. Also, they just got a transfer quarterback from Memphis, Brady McBride, and reports have said that he fits well in the Bobcats’ system.

The Mustangs had a pass defense ranking 125th in the country last season, so I do not trust them to shut down this young Bobcats’ offense over 60 minutes. As a result, a lean to Texas State covering this huge spread would be my play. ★


Game Totals Pick
We have two defenses here that each allowed an average 32+ points last season, ranking 100th+ in the country. Even knowing that, it is hard to believe they will come out here in the heat and both light up the scoreboard. Sure, SMU can score points in a hurry, but once they build a comfortable lead, their foot may very well be taken off the gas. Texas State is still young on offense and there are sure to be hiccups with their new quarterback making his first start. Last year when these teams met, the score was 47-17 in favor of the Mustangs. I do not think it will be another 30-point game, but I could see the Bobcats scoring in the low 20s, while SMU will score about 35 or so. This is certainly not a play I would go big on, but I will take the under here and look for SMU to let up in the second half to rest their star guys for a showdown with TCU next week. ★

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES VS. MEMPHIS TIGERS PREDICTIONS

PICKS

Arkansas State Win +18.0 Point Spread
+105

Under 74.0 Game Totals
-110

Point Spread Pick
Another Sun Belt vs. American match-up here as the Memphis Tigers will host the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Memphis is coming off a 12-1 season and the American championship, while Arkansas Sate went just 7-5. Both teams were top 30 in the country in scoring, Arkansas State being 26th, scoring an average of 33.7 points per game and Memphis averaging 40.4 points per game, ranking 8th.

Arkansas State was actually a slightly better passing offensive team than , average 312.1 passing yards per game and ranking 10th, while Memphis averaged 298.4 yards per game and ranked 17th. The Tigers will return Brady White at quarterback, but will be missing their one of their top offensive weapons, Kenneth Gainwell Jr., who decided to opt out of this season. With Gainwell out, the Red Wolves can focus more on their passing defense instead of stacking the box to stop him.

Arkansas State also returned nine starters on offense this season, including their entire offensive line, so I expect them to have success moving the ball. Because of the noteworthy absence of Gainwell, I will take the Red Wolves to cover this large spread. ★


Game Totals Pick
The total is extremely high in this game and probably warranted under normal circumstances, however I am not sure I want to back this many points in the opening game in a season we did not even know was going to actually happen. Memphis allowed 26.4 points per game last season, which ranked 58th, while the Red Wolves allowed 34.2 points. Again, the loss of Gainwell will certainly affect the production of the Tigers and may make it harder for them to throw the football because the Red Wolves will be expecting it. Memphis is going to score their fair share of points and frankly they will allow points as well, however I do not trust this much scoring in a game where conditioning of the players could play a factor. ★

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marshall Thundering Herd
Marshall is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
Marshall is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Marshall's last 16 games
Marshall is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Marshall is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Marshall's last 8 games at home


Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Eastern Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Eastern Kentucky is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Eastern Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Eastern Kentucky is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Army Black Knights
Army is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Army is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Army is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Army is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Army's last 5 games at home


Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Middle Tennessee is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Middle Tennessee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Middle Tennessee's last 6 games
Middle Tennessee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Middle Tennessee's last 10 games on the road

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Texas State Bobcats
Texas State is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games
Texas State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas State's last 8 games
Texas State is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Texas State is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Texas State's last 10 games at home


SMU Mustangs
Southern Methodist is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Southern Methodist is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Southern Methodist's last 13 games
Southern Methodist is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Southern Methodist's last 7 games on the road

[Can'tPickAWinner]

North Texas Mean Green
North Texas is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
North Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
North Texas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
North Texas is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of North Texas's last 7 games at home


Houston Baptist Huskies
Houston Baptist is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston Baptist is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Houston Baptist is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Houston Baptist is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road