RATINGS AND WRITE UPS FOR

STRIKE POINT SPORTS

6-Unit Play. #194 Take Arizona State (-5) over Wisconsin (10:30 p.m., Saturday, September 14)
Game of the Month
This game breaks down in my eyes fairly similar to last week's 7-Unit winner behind Miami over Florida. Similarly to the Gators, Wisconsin is overrated in the polls and perhaps just given the rating by name alone. The only difference is here, oddsmakers have installed the Sun Devils as clear favorites despite being unranked. This time the line is spot on. ASU should be favored. What has this Badgers team done to prove itself? The Badgers enter the season with no real proven commodity at quarterback and even more importantly (and rare for the program) without someone to speak of carrying the ball. Like I said, I feel like Wisconsin's ranking is based purely on tradition and not on current skill or quality on this year's roster. And let's be honest about this: first year head coach Gary Anderson has given this team zero identity, further backing up my point this is not the Wisconsin that earned their credit years ago. Now to our team who I absolutely love this season. Arizona State is a dynamic sleeper in the Pac 12 with the likes of Oregon and Stanford eating up all the press and hype. Watch quarterback Taylor Kelly. People will be throwing his name around as a legit NFL prospect in about two to three months. Last year as a sophomore Kelly accounted for 29 touchdowns and I think he is going to have a wonderful season in Tempe. I'm even higher on the Sun Devil defense, who led the country in 2012 in tackles for a loss and were second in sacks. That's going to show here with some immense and consistent pressure in the Badgers backfield. And also note that Wisconsin doesn't travel well out west. Each of the previous three seasons the Badgers have played a game on the west coast and were 0-2-1 ATS in these games. Also throw in three straight losses in the last three bowl games to west coast teams as well. Arizona State has covered three of its last four non-conference games and gone 6-1 ATS vs. the Big Ten. Wisconsin is 2-6 ATS in their last eight outside league play and also just 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. the Pac 12 conference. Sun Devil stadium is a difficult place to play and without proven leaders on offense, Arizona State's swarming defense will be the difference here. Behind the best player on the field in quarterback Taylor Kelly, a strong defense and a big home field advantage, ASU proves to be too much. Sun Devils win, 31-21.

4-Unit Play. #161 Take Ball State (-3.5) over North Texas (4 p.m., Saturday, September 14)
Pricing out Ball State as a road favorite here confirms this wager for me. The Cardinals probably slide under the rug for the casual bettor and for line to be pushed their way tells me the guys in Vegas took time to get this one correct. 91 points combined in their first two games of the season, Ball State is going to continue pounding the scoreboard and their opponents. Both wins also came via double-digit covers as the clearcut favorite, and here they do on the road. Ball State have now gone 7-2 ATS in their last nine games dating back to last season and I really can't see any reason to stay away from them here and hop on their momentum. There's not much else that really convinces me here besides wagering on the better team from a better conference.

3-Unit Play. Take Washington/Illinois - 'Over' 62 (6 p.m., Saturday, September 14)
I see points, points and points with these two power conference teams colliding on Saturday. The Huskies and the Illini have both shown early on in season they can score in bunches. UW rang up 38 points on Boise State in their opener, so I would not be surprised in they matched that against an Illinois program that hasn't proven itself as anything really. Likewise for U of I, as the home team has scored 40+ in each of its first two games and did well to bounce some confidence prior to hosting Washington in Solider Field in Chicago. And I think the line sort of lends itself to suggesting the 'over' if I can be so presumptuous. Oddsmakers are certainly expecting UW to throw its weight around if they installed the Huskies as double digit road chalk. But see this game offering more scoring than only the favored road team. Illinois have gone 'over' the number in each of their past four non-conference games. They'll have to keep up on the scoreboard if they don't want this one to be a one-sided affair. I think they do enough and play their part in playing 'over' the total in this one.