11-17-11

[timbob]

New Guys!

Don’t be afraid to post services if you come across any. Anything you contribute will be appreciated, and your user reputation will grow (the green dots under your name.)

Note:

ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Mr. IWS]

Today's NFL Picks

NY Jets at Denver

The Jets look to build on their 6-1 ATS record in their last 7 games as a road favorite of 3 1/2 to 10 points. New York is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Jets favored by 13. Dunkel Pick: NY Jets (-4 1/2). Here are all of this week's picks.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Time Posted: 10:00 a.m. EST (11/15)


Game 307-308: NY Jets at Denver (8:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Jets 138.098; Denver 124.971
Dunkel Line: NY Jets by 13; 36
Vegas Line: NY Jets by 4 1/2; 41
Dunkel Pick: NY Jets (-4 1/2); Under

[Mr. IWS]

Dunkel CFB



THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Time Posted: 10:00 p.m. EST (11/14)


Game 309-310: North Carolina at Virginia Tech (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Carolina 87.850; Virginia Tech 102.839
Dunkel Line: Virginia Tech by 15; 52
Vegas Line: Virginia Tech by 10; 47
Dunkel Pick: Virginia Tech (-10); Over


Game 311-312: Marshall at Memphis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Marshall 74.707; Memphis 65.384
Dunkel Line: Marshall by 9 1/2; 59
Vegas Line: Marshall by 12 1/2; 50
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+12 1/2); Over


Game 313-314: Southern Mississippi at UAB (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 99.505; UAB 67.110
Dunkel Line: Southern Mississippi by 32 1/2; 58
Vegas Line: Southern Mississippi by 23; 61 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (-23); Under

[Mr. IWS]

DCI CFB

Thursday, November 17, 2011
Atlantic Coast Conference
VIRGINIA TECH 34, North Carolina 13
Conference USA
Marshall 38, MEMPHIS 20
Southern Miss 49, UAB 23
Southland Conference
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 40, Nicholls State 27

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NFL

Season
Straight Up: 94-45 (.676)
ATS: 75-64 (.540)
ATS Vary Units: 386-304 (.559)
Over/Under: 71-69 (.507)
Over/Under Vary Units: 206-180 (.534)

Thursday, November 17, 2011
N.Y. Jets 25, DENVER 23

[Mr. IWS]

avid Chan aka The Dragon

NFL-Jets @ Broncos PICK: 10* under 41.5 "RED DRAGON"
NFL- Jets @ Broncos PICK: 10* Jets -4 "NO LIMIT BLOWOUT"
CFB- Southern Miss @ UAB PICK: 8* UAB +22.5
CFB-Marshall @ Memphis PICK: 8* Memphis +13
CFB- North Carolina @ VT PICK:10* NC +12 "PRIME-TARGET"

[Mr. IWS]

LuckyDaySports

Thursday’s Comp Play

NFL
N.Y. Jets -4.5

[Mr. IWS]

NCAA CBB NEWS AND NOTES
Texas A&M Vs. Mississippi State: 2K Sports Classic Preview
By Bison Messink


Texas A&M Aggies at Mississippi State Bulldogs (+4, N/A)

Most college basketball coaches at top programs don't feel comfortable scheduling difficult games until after Thanksgiving, giving their teams a month or so to break in new freshmen and transfers, and find some cohesiveness on the floor. Which makes early events like the 2K Sports Classic so interesting.

After playing two rounds of showcase games against smaller schools, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Arizona join St. John's in New York City on Thursday and Friday for a four-team tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Texas A&M and Mississippi State meet in the more interesting of the two first-round games. The Aggies and Bulldogs tip off at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, and SportsOlogy will be making the three block trek from our office to MSG to cover it. I really hope it isn't raining tomorrow, or that could be a really rough commute.

Mississippi State's trip to New York couldn't possibly go any worse than the early season tournament the Bulldogs played in last year, when star player Renardo Sidney got into a fight with teammate Elgin Bailey while they were sitting in the stands watching another game. Both players were suspended, and Bailey later transferred.

The 6-10 Sidney is one of the most talented players in the country, and his inside-outside skills make him a nightmare matchup, but questions about his makeup and mentality have followed him through his college career. Right or wrong, Sidney is seen as the talented, unsettling presence that makes or breaks the team. A 10-point home loss to Akron last week wasn't an encouraging sign for the Bulldogs, but Akron is a much better team than most people realize and Mississippi State still has plenty of time to prove itself.

Senior point guard Dee Bost averaged more than 15 points and six assists last year, and should break the school's all-time assists record this season. Bulldogs fans expect big things from 6-8 freshman Rodney Hood, and 6-11 UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie gives Mississippi State a deep and dynamic front court.

Texas A&M men's basketball season got off to an ominous start before the games even began, as head coach Bill Kennedy was diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson's disease in October. Kennedy is expected to be on the bench for the 2K Sports Classic, but it doesn't appear his star forward Khris Middleton will play in New York.

Kennedy injured his hamstring after just ten minutes of playing time in the season opener, but with Middleton absent, junior forward Ray Turner has stepped up. After showing immense potential but little production his first two seasons with the Aggies, the 6-9 Turner led A&M in scoring with 20 points in each of the Aggies' first two games against Liberty and Southern. Even without Middleton, A&M was able to dominate those teams physically and score easy baskets in transition.

Turner especially benefitted from the open style of play, but the Aggies will be forced to execute as a team in the half court against a physically equal, if not superior, Mississippi State team. And that is when we'll see just how much Middleton's injury - and Kennedy's missed practice time - will hurt A&M.

Prediction: This one is really impossible to call, based on how little we know of these teams. If Khris Middleton were playing for A&M I'd feel comfortable picking them, but with no Middleton, my guess is the Aggies will run into some trouble scoring baskets.

[Mr. IWS]

COLLEGE FUNDS

Thursday's Best NCAAB Bets

Texas A&M Aggies at Mississippi State Bulldogs (+4, N/A)

The Renardo Sidney experiment continues as the Bulldogs and Aggies tangle in the semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer

Sidney, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound mystery, is expected to suit up for Mississippi State Thursday after missing Saturday’s win over South Alabama with a groin injury, but outside of that very little is certain when you’re talking about Sidney.

He decided to work out with former NBA player John Lucas this summer instead of traveling to Europe with the team and has numerous issues with the NCAA before that. It seems that he’s still a work in progress.

"He still has a ways to go,'' Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury told ESPN. "He's taking baby steps. So far, as in his life itself, has been better. He hasn't disrupted in practice. He's been a good teammate. That part of his life is a lot better. He continues to push himself. But he's got to push himself to get in shape and play more productive minutes. That's his challenge.''

Luckily for Stansbury, the Bulldogs have a pile of talent to go around.

PICK: Mississippi State


Arizona Wildcats at St. John’s Red Storm (Pick 'em, N/A)

The Wildcats lost both Derrick Williams and starting point guard Momo Jones from last year’s club and will have a tough time coming anywhere near their production. But while coach Sean Miller will have his hands full this year, so too will St. John’s bench boss Steve Lavin.

The Red Storm have five freshmen and a couple of juco transfers expected to play big roles for his club. All five starters are getting their first tastes of Division-I ball, which makes early season evaluations difficult.

“We’re a new team, we have lots of newcomers and are very young,” Lavin told reporters. “We like the skill and quickness that our team has exhibited to this point, but we don’t have the depth of size in terms of front line, and overall we’re a bit thin in terms of our rotation.”

The Wildcats head into this one 0-3 against the number but they should be able to earn their first payday here.

PICK: Arizona

[Mr. IWS]

What Bettors Need To Know: Thursday's Top 25 NCAAF Action

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at UAB Blazers (+23, 61.5)

THE STORY: No. 20 Southern Miss appears to be on a collision course with 10th-ranked Houston for the Conference USA Championship Game, but both teams still have work left to do. The Cougars have tough games remaining against SMU and Tulsa, while the Golden Eagles merely have to win one of their final two games against bottom-feeders Alabama-Birmingham and Memphis. Southern Miss has won eight straight games since a slip-up at Marshall in Week 2, which is tied for coach Larry Fedora’s longest winning streak since he took over in 2008.

Southern Miss won the first nine meetings in this series, but Alabama-Birmingham has claimed the last two games, including last season’s 50-49 double-overtime win.

TV: CBS Sports Network

LINE MOVES: Southern Miss opened at -21 and has been bet up to -23.

ABOUT SOUTHERN MISS (9-1, 5-1 Conference USA, 7-3 ATS): The Golden Eagles are off to their best start since 1962, and another win would be only their third 10-win season in school history and first since 1988. Last weekend, Southern Miss barely escaped with a 30-29 home win over Central Florida, which scored a touchdown as time expired but then failed on a two-point conversion that would’ve won the game. The Golden Eagles limited UCF to only 48 yards rushing, holding an opponent under 100 yards on the ground for the fifth time this season. Southern Miss is 20-1 all-time under Fedora when accomplishing that.

ABOUT ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM (2-8, 2-5 Conference USA, 6-4 ATS): The Blazers snapped a two-game skid with a dramatic come-from-behind win at Memphis last weekend. Trailing 35-17 in the fourth-quarter, Alabama-Birmingham reeled off 24 unanswered points to win 41-35 and complete the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in school history. Jonathan Perry tossed two of his four touchdowns in the final period, and Greg Franklin scored on a 10-yard run that proved to be the game-winner with 1:36 left.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. After running back Bruce Johnson and wide receiver Chris Briggs notched their first touchdowns of the season last weekend, a school-record 21 different players have scored for Southern Miss in 2011.

2. Seven of the 11 games in this series have been decided by seven points or less, but the Golden Eagles are 6-1 in those games.

3. Southern Miss ranks 16th nationally in scoring offense (36.8), while the Blazers are 113th in scoring defense (37.2).

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Alabama-Birmingham.
* Underdog is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings.
* Golden Eagles are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.
* Blazers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as underdogs.

PREDICTION: Southern Miss 52, Alabama-Birmingham 28. The Blazers have given up at least 49 points three times this season, and this game will likely be the fourth



North Carolina Tar Heels at Virginia Tech Hokies (-10.5, 47)

THE STORY: No. 7 Virginia Tech controls its own destiny in its pursuit of the ACC championship and the BCS Bowl berth that comes with the trophy. The Hokies made it through one test with a win at Georgia Tech last week and are currently one game ahead of rival Virginia in the ACC Coastal Division. With a visit to the Cavaliers on tap for next weekend, Virginia Tech must first sneak past a dangerous North Carolina team. The Tar Heels looked like they had a chance to make some noise in the ACC until running into a rough patch over the last month with losses in three of their last four games. North Carolina was shut out for the first time in five years on Nov. 5 but has had a bye week to prepare for the Virginia Tech offense. Hokies coach Frank Beamer will be looking for his 250th career win when the Tar Heels visits Blacksburg, Va., on Thursday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE MOVES: The Hokies opened as high as -11 and have been bet down to -10.5.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (6-4, 2-4 ACC, 4-6 ATS): The Tar Heels expect to have quarterback Bryn Renner healthy on Thursday after the sophomore was knocked out of the 13-0 loss at North Carolina State with a concussion. Renner was coming off his first career 300-yard passing performance in a win over Wake Forest when he ran into trouble against the Wolfpack. North Carolina managed only three rushing yards against NC State and is 72nd in the FBS in rushing average at 144.8 yards.

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (9-1, 5-1, 3-7 ATS): The Hokies are aiming for a berth in their fourth ACC Championship game in the last five years. Beamer’s offense is running in high gear lately, going over 400 total yards in five straight, and is coming off a strong performance in a 37-26 victory over Georgia Tech. Sophomore quarterback Logan Thomas passed for three touchdowns and rushed for two more - the second time this season he has totaled five scores in a game.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Hokies are 25-2 in November games since 2004.

2. The last time the schools met on a Thursday in Blacksburg, the Tar Heels came away with a 20-17 victory in 2009.

3. Renner’s father, Bill, was a punter for Virginia Tech.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Road team is 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Tar Heels are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Hokies are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games overall.

PREDICTION: Hokies 24, Tar Heels 14. Thomas will prove to be too much for the North Carolina defense.

[Mr. IWS]

BANG THE BOOK

Thursday's Best NCAA CFB Bet

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at UAB Blazers (+23, 61.5)

Conference USA has loaded its schedule up with quite a few mid-week games at the end of this season. Conference USA’s East Division isn’t competitive at this point. Southern Mississippi leads at 5-1, and they are two games ahead of both East Carolina and Marshall. UAB has won just two games this year, but both of them have been inside the conference. The Blazers have actually won two of their last four games after starting 0-6. Can UAB make this one a contest or will the Golden Eagles win in a rout?

Austin Davis is a fourth-year starter at the quarterback spot for the Golden Eagles. Davis knows this offense well, and he does a nice job making decisions with the football. Davis is much more mobile than most people realize, and he has an accurate arm as well. The Golden Eagles have four running backs that have gotten at least 57 carries this year. Jamal Woodyard has emerged as the team’s top rusher, and he averages 6.6 yards per carry. Ryan Balentine and Kevin Bolden both have five touchdown receptions and more than 40 receptions already this year. Southern Miss is strong offensively because they are so balanced. The Golden Eagles are 16th in the nation averaging 36.8 points per game.

Defensively, Southern Mississippi is much better than most Conference USA teams. Most teams in this conference rely on outscoring their opponent, but Southern Miss has a pretty good defense. The front seven is particularly strong against the run. The Golden Eagles allow only 20.5 points per game.

There hasn’t been much go right for UAB this year. The team’s starting quarterback is out for the year with a hand injury. The team’s best runner has been battling nagging injuries all year long. The Blazers have been able to move the ball through the air this year, but they haven’t been able to punch it in the end zone. Jonathan Perry is the new signal caller for the Blazers, and he has been extremely inconsistent. Perry is a mobile quarterback, but he doesn’t always make good decisions with the ball. The Blazers are averaging just 17 points per game on offense.

Things aren’t any better on the defensive end of the field for UAB. The Blazers defense ranks 115th out of 120 teams in the nation in total defense. UAB is allowing 489 yards and 37 points per game so far this year. The secondary often gets beaten deep, and that could be a problem against a solid quarterback like Austin Davis.

Southern Miss is the much better team, but laying this many points on the road is a dangerous proposition. I think the better play here is the under. Look for the Golden Eagles defense to shine in this one.

PICK: Under 61.5


North Carolina Tar Heels at Virginia Tech Hokies (-10.5, 47)

The No. 7 Virginia Tech Hokies will host the North Carolina Tar Heels on ESPN’s Thursday Night Football, aiming for a berth in their fourth ACC Championship game in the last five years.

But just a week after making it through one test with a win at Georgia Tech, VT must first sneak by a very dangerous North Carolina team who expect to have quarterback Bryn Renner healthy for Thursday, before taking on ACC Coastal Division rival Virginia next week.

The last time the schools met on a Thursday in Blacksburg, the Tar Heels came away with a 20-17 victory in 2009.

And you can bet if Renner, who after being knocked out in the third quarter of as 13-0 loss at North Carolina State with a concussion last week, makes it into this one, it could be a repeat for the Heels who are desperately looking for a win after losing three of their last four games.

The sophomore quarterback was coming off his first career 300-yard passing performance in a win over Wake Forest when he ran into trouble against the Wolf Pack. North Carolina managed only three rushing yards against NC State and is 72nd in the FBS in rushing average at 144.8 yards.

The Heels totaled just 165 yards of total offense and turned the ball over three times before being shut out for the first time in five years.

Meanwhile, the Hokies who remain a single game ahead of the Cavaliers, who they play next week, controls their own destiny in its pursuit of an ACC championship and the BCS Bowl berth that comes with it.

A win over UNC would put VT in a good position to claim its fourth ACC Championship game in the last five years, and coach Frank Beamer would love to notch his 250th career victory in doing so.

And there is no reason to doubt that they can, as the Hokies has continued to roll along with a mission since suffering their lone loss of the season to Clemson.
Beamer’s offense is running on all cylinders of late, going over 400 total yards in five straight games, and is coming off a strong performance in a 37-26 victory over Georgia Tech.

Quarterback Logan Thomas passed for three touchdowns and ran for another two — the second time this season he has totaled five scores in a game– while David Wilson continued his impressive season totaling 175 rushing yards.

North Carolina is 6-4 this season SU and 4-6 ATS. Virginia Tech is 9-1 SU and 3-7 ATS.

PICK: Virginia Tech

[Mr. IWS]

NFL NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday Night Football: Jets at Broncos

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (+6, 40.5)

THE STORY: There’s usually not much activity on Revis Island, but it will be taken to a new extreme when the Denver Broncos host the New York Jets on Thursday night. Jets coach Rex Ryan banks on teams not throwing at star cornerback Darrelle Revis, and the Broncos will be happy to oblige with their Tim Tebow-led option offense that put the ball in the air only eight times in Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver’s new look might be welcomed by the Jets, who were torched by Tom Brady and New England’s aerial attack in a blowout home loss Sunday night.

TV: NFL Network, 8:20 p.m. ET.

LINE MOVES: The Jets opened as 5-point road faves and were bet down to -4 before action pushed the spread all the way to -6. The total had fallen from 42.5 to 40.5.

WEATHER: Clear skies are in the forecast for Denver, with light winds blowing SW at 6 mph. Game-time temperatures will dip into the mid 40's later in the evening.

ABOUT THE JETS (5-4, 4-5 ATS): New York’s three-game winning streak came to a screeching halt in the 37-16 loss to the Patriots in a showdown for first place in the AFC East. QB Mark Sanchez threw a pair of interceptions and was sacked five times, so the Jets may follow Denver’s lead with a more conventional ground-and-pound running game. With LaDainian Tomlinson likely to miss the game with a sprain knee, New York could feature a heavy dose of RB Shonn Greene and count on its defense to contain the Broncos’ one-dimensional offense. The Jets had allowed 38 points in three previous games before wilting under the New England’s pass-heavy attack.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (4-5, 4-5 ATS): The pundits keep insisting that Tebow’s throwing motion is not suited for success in the NFL, but it doesn’t have to be in this offense. Denver ran the ball on 55 plays last week, getting 30 carries from Lance Ball, who was forced into action due to injuries to RBs Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno. McGahee is iffy and Moreno is done for the year, so Ball could be in line for another big workload. Tebow had two completions last week, but one was a 56-yard TD to Eric Decker that broke the game open. The Broncos have won two straight and are 3-1 with Tebow as a starter.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Tebow is the only QB in history to throw a TD pass and rush for at least 25 yards in each of his first seven starts.

2. The Jets had won six straight games in November prior to Sunday’s loss that had Ryan cursing at a fan – and apologizing for it the next day.

3. Tomlinson ran for two fourth-quarter scores as the Jets rallied for a 24-20 win at Denver last season.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Denver.
* Jets are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.
* Broncos are 7-19-2 ATS in their last 28 home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Jets' last five games as road favorites.
* Over is 22-8 in Broncos' last 30 games overall.

PREDICTION: Jets 20, Broncos 13. With only leather helmets missing, the Jets grind out a hard-to-watch victory.

[Mr. IWS]

BANG THE BOOK

Thursday's Best NFL Bet

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (+6, 40.5)

Two teams that are fighting for their playoff lives in the AFC duke it out on the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football betting action, as the New York Jets take on the Denver Broncos.

The schedule makers really didn’t have much of a heart for the Jets in this one, as they had to play on Sunday Night Football last week, then turn around, fly across the country to take on a team that is starting to form some sort of an identity. This is a potentially bad matchup for the Jets as well, as they are certainly a heck of a lot less proficient against the run (116.0 YPG, No. 15 in the league) than the pass (210.8 YPG, No. 8 in the league). If Denver can keep the ball on the ground on Thursday night, the New York offense is really going to be tested, as it can’t make mistakes. RB LaDainian Tomlinson is out of the lineup, and RB Shonn Greene really hasn’t done anything of tremendous note this year, which puts the onus right on the shoulders of QB Mark Sanchez. 2,081 passing yards with 14 TDs against nine picks isn’t all that great, and we really don’t expect to see all that much out of Sanchez either. His top receiving target is TE Dustin Keller with 473 yards and two scores, though WR Plaxico Burress does have 361 yards and six trips to the end zone.

We always knew that Head Coach John Fox was a smart cookie, but we didn’t really know just how smart he was until last week. Fox threw the ball exactly eight times against the Kansas City Chiefs, and QB Tim Tebow only completed two of those passes, yet it was still good enough to win the game. Miraculously, all of that action on the ground came with both RB Willis McGahee and RB Knowshon Moreno being knocked out of the game in the first quarter. It’s not sounding great for McGahee this week with a hamstring injury in a short week or preparation, and Moreno is now out for the year with an ACL injury. That leaves RB Lance Ball, who toted the rock a whopping 30 times last week to shoulder the load again this week in all likelihood, though WR Eddie Royal was also used as a running back in a pinch as well. The question is what happens if Denver has to play this game from behind instead of ahead. Tebow is only completing 44.8 percent of his passes for 605 yards, and there is a real question what happens if the Jets make him throw it even 20 times on the day.

New York Jets @ Denver Broncos Pick: Kansas City is a train wreck in the middle of happening, so we’re not overly surprised at least week’s result. In the end, we trust that Head Coach Rex Ryan will be able to come up with a scheme, even if that means keeping nine in the box to stop this Denver rushing game, and come the second half, things could get really, really ugly for the Broncos.

PICK: Jets -6

[Mr. IWS]

NHL NEWS AND NOTES
Wings Continue Trip In San Jose
By Tal Pinchevsky


Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-135, 5.5)
RED WINGS (9-6-1) at SHARKS (9-5-1)

TV: FS-Detroit (HD), CSN-California (HD)

LAST 10: Detroit 4-5-1; San Jose 7-2-1

SEASON SERIES: This is the second of four meetings between two of the Western Conference's premier teams. They played in Detroit on Oct. 28, a game in which San Jose captain Joe Thornton scored two goals, including the game-winner, in a 4-2 win.

BIG STORY: While neither team is perched atop the Western Conference, they've both showed flashes of the play that has made them two of the NHL's marquee franchises over the past decade. Detroit undid the damage of an uncharacteristic six-game losing streak with four straight wins before Tuesday's 2-1 loss in St. Louis, and the Sharks' early-season five-game win streak has them near the top of the ultra-competitive Pacific Division.

TEAM SCOPE:

RED WINGS: The lengthy skid the Red Wings experienced early in the season had fans fearing that Detroit would lose seven straight for the first time in more than two decades. The last Wings team to do it, the 1990-91 club, finished the season with a sub-500 record. However, the Wings snapped the six-game losing streak with a convincing 5-0 win against Anaheim on Nov. 5 before proceeding to win their next three games. The Wings looked to make it five wins in a row on Tuesday in St. Louis, but the Blues had other plans, outshooting Detroit 30-13 after the first period.

"Our performance tonight was unacceptable," said Niklas Kronwall, who played 21:59 despite being hurt on a check from behind by Chris Stewart, who subsequently earned a three-game suspension for the hit. "We're losing way too many battles, made too many mistakes. Our power play wasn't good enough. We had some chances. We just have to bear down."

SHARKS: An early five-game win streak had the Sharks showing the form that put them in the Conference Final each of the last two seasons. A 5-2 loss at Madison Square Garden on Halloween snapped the streak, but San Jose rebounded nicely by going 3-0-1 in their next four games. Playing their fourth in a five-game homestand, the Sharks hoped to continue that run on Saturday against the Coyotes.

Against the Sharks, Radim Vrbata and Boyd Gordon gave Phoenix a 2-0 lead before the game was 20 minutes old. The Sharks outshot the Coyotes 24-12 in the next two periods, but failed to get a shot past Mike Smith, who stopped 31 shots to earn a 3-0 win, his first shutout of the season. "It was a bad start," San Jose forward Ryane Clowe said. "Bang, bang the first period is over and we're down 2-0. It was uphill from there."

WHO'S HOT: For the Wings, Drew Miller is enjoying a three-game point streak in which he has three points while captain Nicklas Lidstrom has eight points in his last nine games and Valtteri Filppula has six in his last five games. … San Jose's Patrick Marleau has five points in his last three games and Dan Boyle has seven points in his last seven games.

INJURY REPORT: Defenseman Ian White is out for the Wings with a broken cheekbone while Todd Bertuzzi is on IR with a sinus infection that has caused dizziness. … The Sharks are not missing any major pieces of their roster.

STAT PACK: The Sharks and Red Wings have cultivated quite a rivalry over the past two playoff seasons. The two teams have played 12 playoff games, with the Sharks winning eight, over the past two playoff years. Only the Canucks and Blackhawks, with 13 matchups, have competed in more playoff games in that span.

PUCK DROP: With every game played, Lidstrom continues to climb the all-time games played list. Five more games and he will pass his former teammate, Steve Yzerman, for 13th on the all-time list. After that, he'll be 10 games short of another former teammate, Brendan Shanahan.

[Mr. IWS]

ICE PICKS

Thursday’s Best NHL Bets

Detroit Red Wings at San Jose Sharks (-135, 5.5)

It’s almost time to start getting a bit concerned about Henrik Zetterberg if you’re a Red Wings supporter.

While Detroit’s defense has been great all season, the offense has been spotty at best and Zetterberg is catching a lot of the blame. He is reportedly playing through a minor undisclosed injury but his numbers speak for themselves: six points in 16 games.

Zetterberg was held off the score sheet again in Detroit’s 2-1 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday, a defeat that raised some eyebrows in the dressing room.

"They did to us what we do to lots of teams," coach Mike Babcock told reporters. "That's dominate us. They outchanced us. They outplayed us. They were better. They were quicker. They were harder in the puck battles. I thought the score flattered us."

The Red Wings will bounce back with a better effort in the Shark Tank and we can only hope Zetterberg gets his act together.

PICK: Detroit


Toronto Maple Leafs at Nashville Predators (-165, 5.5)

We’ll really see what the Toronto Maple Leafs are made of now.

After getting by with some questions in the crease over the past couple of weeks, the Leafs have a couple significant injuries to deal with.

Toronto dropped its fourth straight game Tuesday night, 3-2, to Philadelphia and also saw forwards Clarke MacArthur and Mikhail Grabovski leave the game with injuries. As of now, it looks as though Grabovski will be out about two weeks with a lower body problem, but no word has come out about MacArthur’s status.

Meanwhile, Nashville hasn’t been great at home this season, but the Preds did just mount a comeback win over Washington when they were down 1-0 with only five minutes left in the third.

Those are the kind of wins teams can rally around so we’ll eat the home chalk here.

PICK: Nashville

[Mr. IWS]

Thursday’s Betting Tips: Bettors Riding Broncos' Home Skid

WHO'S HOT

NFL: The New York Jets are 6-2 in their last eight as a road favorite.

NCAAF: Southern Mississippi is 7-1 against the spread in its last eight.

NCAAB: Michigan is 19-7 against the spread in its last 26 overall.

NHL: Pittsburgh is 8-3 in its last 11.

WHO'S NOT

NFL: Denver is 7-19-2 against the spread in its last 28 home games.

NCAAF: Virginia Tech is 2-7 against the spread in its last nine.

NCAAB: Alabama is 1-7 against the spread in its last eight neutral site games.

NHL: The New York Islanders have lost 10 of their last 11 overall.

KEY STAT

13.53 – If you were crazy enough to bet on every Columbus Blue Jackets game so far this season, you’d be down 13.53 units already. Columbus has just three wins this season and is only 5-12 on the puckline. The Blue Jackets are set as huge -235 favorites in Boston Thursday.

INJURY THAT SHOULDN'T BE OVERLOOKED

Willis McGahee, Denver Broncos - McGahee is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the New York Jets. McGahee suffered a left hamstring strain in Sunday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs. After being limited in practice Wednesday, McGahee said he would test his hamstring in warmups Thursday. The Broncos lost backup running back Knowshon Moreno for the season with a torn knee ligament suffered in Sunday's game. With McGahee and Moreno both knocked out of the game early, Lance Ball rushed for 96 yards on 30 carries.

GAME OF THE DAY

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (6.5, 40)

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

"I don’t know what Royal Melbourne has done but these are probably the toughest greens I’ve ever played on. If you just lose your focus for a split second, you can make bogey or double or triple. You can three-putt easily. So I think the overall strategy of play in the golf course is quite fun, but the greens are just monstrous, really." – Y.E. Yang through an interpreter on the Royal Melbourne’s greens at the President’s Cup.

TIPS AND NOTES

The Denver Broncos may have covered won and covered in each of their last two, but they’ve had a terrible time against the number at home. They have dropped three straight against the spread in front of their home fans. Almost 70 percent of Covers.com Consensus bettors were jumping all over the visiting Jets, who were set as 6.5-point favorites as of Wednesday evening.

St. Louis Blues right wing Chris Stewart was suspended three games by the NHL on Wednesday for his hit from behind on Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Stewart was chasing the puck and pushed Kronwall into the boards. Kronwall remained on the ice for several moments and did not return to the contest. Stewart was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind. The 18th overall pick of the 2006 draft, Stewart collected three goals, two assists and 42 penalty minutes this season.

Tee times for Day 2 of the Presidents Cup have been moved up two hours due to the threat of rain and thunderstorms in Melbourne, Australia. The six Four-Balls matches will get underway at 9:35 a.m. local time Friday (9:35 p.m. ET Thursday). The forecast for Saturday's competition, which features Foursomes in the morning and Four-Balls in the afternoon, calls for a 70 percent chance of rain. The Presidents Cup got underway just after 9 p.m. ET Wednesday night (Thursday afternoon in Australia) with six Foursomes matches scheduled. The most anticipated matchup will pair Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker against Adam Scott and K.J. Choi.

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NHL

Season: 77-68 (.531)

BOSTON 4, Columbus 2
Montreal vs. N.Y. ISLANDERS: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Phoenix vs. PHILADELPHIA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Pittsburgh vs. TAMPA BAY: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
ST. LOUIS 3, Florida 2
NASHVILLE 3, Toronto 2
MINNESOTA 3, Colorado 2
Washington vs. WINNIPEG: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Ottawa vs. EDMONTON: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
ANAHEIM 3, Los Angeles 2
Detroit vs. SAN JOSE: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

[Mr. IWS]

DCI CBB

Season
Straight Up: 252-56 (.818)
ATS: 67-97 (.409)
ATS Vary Units: 304-514 (.372)
Over/Under: 84-82 (.506)
Over/Under Vary Units: 140-132 (.515)

2K Sports Classic
Championship Semifinals at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Arizona 73, ST. JOHN'S 72
Texas A&M 70, Mississippi State 64

Cancun Challenge
at campus sites
ILLINOIS 82, Lipscomb 60
ILLINOIS STATE 74, SIU Edwardsville 52
RICHMOND 72, Hampton 52
RUTGERS 74, Sacred Heart 59

Charleston Classic
1st Round at TD Arena, Charleston, SC
Georgia Tech 67, Saint Joseph's 66
Northwestern 71, Lsu 57
Tulsa 72, Western Kentucky 60
Vcu 70, Seton Hall 66

Dale Howard Classic
Round Robin at campus sites
CAMPBELL 74, North Carolina A&T 67

Global Sports Classic
Round Robin at campus sites
ALABAMA STATE 72, Northwestern State 68

Global Sports Invitational
Round Robin at campus sites
ARKANSAS STATE 71, Tennessee-Martin 62

Global Sports Shootout
Round Robin at campus sites
FLORIDA 82, North Florida 54

Philly Hoop Group Classic
at campus sites
RIDER 74, Penn 67

Progressive CBE Classic
Columbia Regional at Columbia, MO
MISSOURI 85, Niagara 62

Puerto Rico Tip-Off
1st Round at Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
Alabama 70, Maryland 66
Purdue 76, Iona 67
Temple 75, Western Michigan 63
Wichita State 75, Colorado 73

South Padre Invitational
at campus sites
RICE 77, Southern 46

Non-Conference
CONNECTICUT 86, Maine 49
FLORIDA GULF COAST 69, Prairie View A&M 56
FURMAN 68, Mercer 62
IOWA 78, Northern Illinois 59
Loyola (Md.) 75, UMBC 63
MASSACHUSETTS 78, Njit 59
MICHIGAN 76, Western Illinois 39
MINNESOTA 66, Fairfield 57
MONTANA 66, Idaho 62
NEVADA 72, Pacific 64
OREGON 78, Eastern Washington 61
SAN DIEGO STATE 68, Usc 54
Southern Miss 61, DENVER 54
UNLV 78, Canisius 59
WASHINGTON STATE 81, Sacramento State 56
WEST VIRGINIA 89, Alcorn State 51
Western Carolina 70, PRESBYTERIAN 68

[Mr. IWS]

NCAA Basketball Picks

Arizona at St. John's

The Wildcats look to build on their 6-1-1 ATS record in their last 8 games as a road favorite. Arizona is the pick (-1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Wildcats favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-1 1/2). Here are all of today's games.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST


Game 541-542: Northern Illinois at Iowa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Illinois 40.958; Iowa 61.427
Dunkel Line: Iowa by 20 1/2
Vegas Line: Iowa by 22
Dunkel Pick: Northern Illinois (+22)


Game 543-544: Southern Mississippi at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 55.294; Denver 59.304
Dunkel Line: Denver by 4
Vegas Line: Denver by 2 1/2;
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-2 1/2)


Game 545-546: Pacific at Nevada (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pacific 48.613; Nevada 59.948
Dunkel Line: Nevada by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Nevada by 14
Dunkel Pick: Pacific (+14)


Game 547-548: USC at San Diego State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: USC 61.326; San Diego State 66.989
Dunkel Line: San Diego State by 5 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: San Diego State by 6 1/2; 120
Dunkel Pick: USC (+6 1/2); Over


Game 549-550: Temple at Western Michigan (10:30 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Temple 61.878; Western Michigan 55.610
Dunkel Line: Temple by 6 1/2; 132
Vegas Line: Temple by 9; 135
Dunkel Pick: Western Michigan (+9); Under


Game 551-552: Purdue vs. Iona (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Purdue 68.498; Iona 61.976
Dunkel Line: Purdue by 7 1/2; 145
Vegas Line: Purdue by 3; 141
Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-3); Over


Game 553-554: Maryland vs. Alabama (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Maryland 60.145; Alabama 69.899
Dunkel Line: Alabama by 10; 126
Vegas Line: Alabama by 7 1/2; 129
Dunkel Pick: Alabama (-7 1/2); Under


Game 555-556: Wichita State vs. Colorado (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wichita State 71.244; Colorado 63.342
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 8; 145
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 9; 141
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+9); Over


Game 557-558: Tulsa vs. Western Kentucky (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 61.597; Western Kentucky 49.611
Dunkel Line: Tulsa by 12; 136
Vegas Line: Tulsa by 11; 130
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (-11); Over


Game 559-560: LSU vs. Northwestern (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LSU 55.279; Northwestern 61.190
Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 6; 124
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 9; 128
Dunkel Pick: LSU (+9); Under


Game 561-562: VCU vs. Seton Hall (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 63.473; Seton Hall 60.536
Dunkel Line: VCU by 3; 137
Vegas Line: Pick; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: VCU; Over


Game 563-564: Georgia Tech vs. St. Joseph's (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Tech 60.617; St. Joseph's 63.889
Dunkel Line: St. Joseph's by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Joseph's by 2
Dunkel Pick: St. Joseph's (-2)


Game 565-566: Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas A&M 63.680; Mississippi State 61.774
Dunkel Line: Texas A&M by 2; 129
Vegas Line: Texas A&M by 4 1/2; 133 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Mississippi State (+4 1/2); Under


Game 567-568: Arizona at St. John's (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 67.981; St. John's 64.935
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 3; 136
Vegas Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 138 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-1 1/2); Under


Game 569-570: Pennsylvania at Rider (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 50.923; Rider 55.315
Dunkel Line: Rider by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Rider by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rider (-3 1/2)


Game 571-572: Fairfield at Minnesota (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fairfield 58.623; Minnesota 64.136
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 5 1/2; 133
Vegas Line: Minnesota by 8; 127 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Fairfield (+8); Over


Game 573-574: Niagara at Missouri (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Niagara 44.473; Missouri 70.259
Dunkel Line: Missouri by 26;
Vegas Line: Missouri by 24 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Missouri (-24 1/2)


Game 575-576: SIU-Edwardsville at Illinois State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: SIU-Edwardsville 37.183; Illinois State 52.601
Dunkel Line: Illinois State by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Illinois State by 17
Dunkel Pick: SIU-Edwardsville (+17)


Game 577-578: Tennessee-Martin at Arkansas State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee-Martin 44.308; Arkansas State 55.305
Dunkel Line: Arkansas State by 11
Vegas Line: Arkansas State by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (-9 1/2)


Game 579-580: Idaho at Montana (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho 54.321; Montana 59.520
Dunkel Line: Montana by 5
Vegas Line: Montana by 9
Dunkel Pick: Idaho (+9)


Game 581-582: Sacramento State at Washington State (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento State 44.841; Washington State 62.609
Dunkel Line: Washington State by 18
Vegas Line: Washington State by 19 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento State (+19 1/2)


Game 583-584: Canisius at UNLV (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 49.012; UNLV 71.745
Dunkel Line: UNLV by 22 1/2
Vegas Line: UNLV by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UNLV (-18 1/2)


Game 585-586: Eastern Washington at Oregon (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Washington 52.400; Oregon 62.515
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 10
Vegas Line: Oregon by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Washington (+13 1/2)

[Mr. IWS]

Today's NHL Picks

Ottawa at Edmonton

The Senators look to take advantage of an Edmonton team that is 0-5 in its last 5 games as a home favorite from -110 to -150. Ottawa is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Senators favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+120). Here are all of today's picks.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Time Posted 7:30 a.m. EST


Game 1-2: Columbus at Boston (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 9.953; Boston 13.254
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 3 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-235); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-235); Under


Game 3-4: Phoenix at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 12.288; Philadelphia 11.806
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+150); Over


Game 5-6: Montreal at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.876; NY Islanders 10.275
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-115); Over


Game 7-8: Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 10.587; Tampa Bay 11.224
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+100); Under


Game 9-10: Florida at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.624; St. Louis 13.082
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-145); Over


Game 11-12: Toronto at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 11.153; Nashville 10.803
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-165); 5
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+145); Under


Game 13-14: Colorado at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.239; Minnesota 10.343
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+130); Under


Game 15-16: Washington at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.105; Winnipeg 11.862
Dunkel Line & Total: Winnipeg by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+140); Over


Game 17-18: Ottawa at Edmonton (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 11.534; Edmonton 10.983
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Edmonton (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+120); Under


Game 19-20: Los Angeles at Anaheim (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.880; Anaheim 11.307
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-115); Over


Game 21-22: Detroit at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 12.069; San Jose 11.291
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+115); Over

[Mr. IWS]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with Western Michigan (+2) Wednesday.

Thursday it’s the Broncos. The deficit is 3034 sirignanos.

[Mr. IWS]

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

753- 554 57 % Free Play Run over 3 YEARS

Free play Thurs: So Miss FB -23

[Mr. IWS]

Gamblers Data

Free Play Thursday

Boston Bruins -1.5 +126

[Mr. IWS]

Football Crusher
Play of the Day:

Southern Miss + UAB OVER 61

[Mr. IWS]

Hockey Crusher
Play of the Day:

New York Islanders + Montreal Canadiens UNDER 5.5

[Mr. IWS]

Basketball Crusher
Play of the Day:

Arkansas State -9 over Tennessee-Martin

[Mr. IWS]

Sportbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Carolina Hurricanes + Montreal Canadiens UNDER 5.5 (hockey)

[Mr. IWS]

Cappers Access

(NFL) Jets
(CFB) Virginia Tech
(CBB) Iona

[Mr. IWS]

JOE WIZ DAILY FREE PICK

Idaho +10 over Montana

[Mr. IWS]

VegasTopDogs Twitter play is UNDER Jets/Broncos

[Mr. IWS]

The Busted Bookie

5* IONA +3.5

5* E. WASHINGTON +14

5* COLORADO +9.5

[Mr. IWS]

IGSports picks
Dan Penner

5 Star Pick - NHL Tampa Bay Lightning ML +115
3 Star Pick - NHL Colorado Avalanche ML +128

3 Star Pick - NFL New York Jets -6 (-110)

Woodbine Racetrack - Race 4 Horse 6 (Crowd Favorite)
1 Unit to Win, Place, and Show.

[Mr. IWS]

Paul Leiner

100* St Josephs -2

50* Broncos +6.5

[Mr. IWS]

OffshoreInsiders.com Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers has a sports betting pick Thursday is on UAB (+23) at home to Southern Miss.

Reasoning: Southern Mississippi has had a very successful season and is a team that is obviously much better than UAB. But the Blazers had that phenomenal comeback win last week at Memphis and no matter how terrible the Tigers are that is still one of those confidence building victories. Plus it's not like tonight's home squad isn't capable as they did shock the world in the outright against Central Florida on a weeknight as a hefty 17 or so point dog.

No doubt it's asking a lot fading the Golden Eagles today as Austin Davis and company are a talented bunch that should win this game. But is Southern Miss. going to really be all that excited and lay it on the line today? They're not playing Case Keenum and Houston just yet in the championship game here and this game in Birmingham could be a little bit of a letdown. Plus it's not like UAB hasn't played major competition this season and will walk out there and be intimidated. These guys mucked it up with Florida in the opener in Gainesville, hosted Mississippi State and actually led 3-0 at the half and only lost by a measley point at Troy.

2-8 isn't a good record but the Blazers at home also aren't as bad as the oddsmaker seems to think. Look for Jonathan Perry, Greg Franklin, Jamarcus Nelson and the Blazers to be competitive and cash the ticket in the end.

Top expert pick on this game: Alabama-Birmingham

[Mr. IWS]

Sports Wagers

N.Y. Jets –6 over DENVER PINNACLE
This one lines up nicely as the Jets were smoked by nemesis Patriots on Sunday night while Tim Tebow and the Broncos are fresh off a win over the hapless Chiefs. Perfect. The result is a reduced line and one we intend to take full advantage of. Denver may be able to compete with some of the weaker teams around the league. But with Tebow and his extreme inability to pass the football (44.8% completion rate), it is impossible to succeed against any competent teams. Tebow had one of the most incredible lines in NFL history last week as he completed just two passes in eight attempts for 56 yards, in a 17-10 victory. The key was a Kansas City team that couldn’t stop the run as the Broncos racked up 244 yards on the ground. That wouldn't work here under regular circumstances and now that both of Denver’s starting running backs are likely to miss this one, it becomes a near impossible task for Tebow to beat the Jets through the air. Off of last week’s embarrassment and with playoff hopes suddenly an issue, expect the Jets to be all business on this night. Play: N.Y. Jets –6 (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).

NASHVILLE -½ +100 over Toronto (REG) Pinnacle
The Maple Leafs slide into irrelevance continues and until they get rid of Brian Burke and Ron Wilson, nothing will change. The Leafs possess a bunch of third line players, poor defense and shaky goaltending. They put a lot of faith into James Reimer but had no alternative plan should something go wrong. The Maple Leafs have dropped four of five with only win over that span coming against St. Louis in a game they were outshot 40-22. Toronto’s two previous wins came against Columbus and New Jersey and the only reason they won that pair is because Steve Mason and Marty Brodeur couldn’t stop a puck. The Leafs have been outscored 22-8 over their last five games and they’ll face one of the best goalies in the business here in Pekka Rinne. When the Leafs got off to that hot start it was because they played every dreg in the league not once, but twice. Now the Leafs schedule is getting tough and they're also missing a few bodies. Time for some real adversity for Toronto and once again they provide us with a great fade opportunity. Play: Nashville -½ +100 (Risking 2 units).

WINNIPEG +150 over Washington Pinnacle
There’s value playing against the Caps because they’re an overpriced team almost every time they play. The Caps have been a power in this league for a long time but this year, despite a good start, they are a highly flawed team that is more beatable than ever. Coach Bruce Boudreau is percolating as we speak and he’s going to lose it at some point. The Caps are just 1-3-1 in their last five. The Jets are very familiar with this foe and will play them six times this season with this being the first game. The building will be electric tonight, as hockey fans get their first chance to see AO in action. The Jets might be the most undervalued team in the league. They’ve lost a bunch of games but yet have some really nice wins over Philly, Tampa and Pittsburgh. There's some front-line talent on this club and they get greatly energized by their fans. The Jets are coming off that nice 5-2 win over the Lightning and there’s no reason they can’t keep it going here. The bottom line here is value and in a game that’s a complete toss-up, taking back a tag like this is the prudent thing to do. Play: Winnipeg +150 (Risking 2 units).

Ottawa +109 over EDMONTON Pinnacle
Thus far the Senators are the streakiest team in league and right now they’re warming up again. Ottawa started the year out by losing five of its first six and followed that up with a six-game winning streak. They then lost five in a row before winning its last two and with that modest winning streak on the line, they catch the Oilers in a bad spot. Aside from losing three in a row and four of its last five, Edmonton returns home from a 1-4 road trip. The only win on said trip occurred in Montreal in a game they had no business winning. The Oilers have not been sharp for close to three weeks now and they’ve also allowed 15 goals against over their last three. The Sens are having a lot of fun out there. The reports are they love coming to the rink again and are genuinely enjoying each other. This is a cohesive unit with some high-end talent. Erik Karlsson is on the verge of superstar status. The Sens have a solid collection of youth and vets and once again they’re undervalued in a very favorable situation. Play: Ottawa +109 (Risking 2 units).

[Mr. IWS]

David Banks

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
For the second week in a row, the Virginia Tech Hokies (9-1, 3-7 ATS) will play under the Thursday Night Lights on ESPN when they welcome the division rival North Carolina Tar Heels (6-4, 4-6 ATS) into Blacksburg; kick-off from Lane Stadium is set to go live at 8:00 ET on ESPN, ESPN 3D and ESPN3.com.
It couldn’t have been pleasant being a member of the UNC football team who got shutout by the NC State Wolfpack for the first time since the 1960’s the last time they took to the gridiron. After pounding the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 49-24 as seven-point favorites in the Universities Homecoming game the week before, it came as quite the surprise to see UNC struggle throughout the game’s entirety managing just 13 first downs and 165 yards of total offense against a stop unit giving up an average of over 350 YPG heading into Week 12. Head Coach Everett Withers will have QB Bryn Renner back in the mix this week after he was sidelined during the game with a concussion vs. the Wolfpack, but the sophomore will be forced to navigate the offense against the nation’s 9th ranked scoring defense that’s allowed an average of just 16.5 PPG. North Carolina is 1-3 SU & ATS away from Chapel Hill to date, but has covered each of its L/2 as road underdogs of 10.5 to 21 points.
Virginia Tech has gone on to play in the ACC Championship Game three of the last four years, and if it can tame both North Carolina and Virginia over the next two weeks, Head Coach Frank Beamer’s kids will once again represent the Coastal Division in the big game. The Hokies took one step closer towards sealing the division up last week when they went into Bobby Dodd Stadium and pulled away in the 4th quarter to secure the 37-26 road win and cover over GTECH as short two-point favorites. The win was the team’s fifth in a row since falling at home to Clemson back in Week 5. They’ll have to hit the road again next week to possibly battle Virginia for divisional honors, but up first is a North Carolina squad that defeated them at the closing gun the last time they paid a visit to Blacksburg. VTECH owns home scalps of Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Miami, and Boston College, but it failed to cover the closing pointspread in three of those match-ups making it 4-1 SU & 1-4 ATS as a host entering its 2011 home finale.

The road team has won and covered each of these division rivals L/3 meetings with the ‘under’ cashing in each contest. The Tar Heels are 18-7-1 ATS the L/26 times the offense failed to generate 275 yards or more the previous game, but they’ve also failed to cover each of their L/4 November tussles and put forth just 1-3 SU & ATS records after their L/4 byes. VTECH is a perfect 9-0 SU & 8-1 ATS its L/9 November gridiron battles, but came up short in covering each of the L/5 times it went off the board a chalk of 10.5-points or more.
PICK: NC/Virginia Tech UNDER

[Mr. IWS]

PAYCHECK SPORTS

$500 dollar wager - Purdue Boilermakers -3

[Mr. IWS]

LT Profits

NCAAB
Purdue -4.5 -105
Purdue/Iona UNDER 140.5 -110
LSU/Northwestern UNDER 127.5 -108
Maryland/Alabama UNDER 128 -110

[Mr. IWS]

Frank Patron

20,000 unit Va Tech Hokies -10.5 over UNC

[Mr. IWS]

powerplaywins

1 unit marshall -11 cfb

[Mr. IWS]

Joey Cassano

Western Michigan +9

[Mr. IWS]

MORTARMIKE

NCAA B-Ball
10* W.Mich +9
5* Over W.mich 135
5* W.Kentucky +11.5
10* Purdue -3
10* Under Purdue 141.5

[Mr. IWS]

The Runner

NFL
15 UNIT Pick: Jets -5

[Mr. IWS]

World Wide Sports inc

ncaab
15 unit Pick: tulsa -11
10 unit Pick: wichita st -9

[Mr. IWS]

Carolina Capper

8* NCAAB Northern Illinois/Iowa-OVER 138.5
5* NCAAB Purdue -4.5
5* NCAAB LSU/Northwestern-OVER 129

[Mr. IWS]

Sixth Sense

BEST BETS

3% DENVER +6.5

[Mr. IWS]

SEAN MURPHY

NHL HOME COOKING BLOWOUT
Blues -140

[Mr. IWS]

TRIPE A COMPUTER PLAYS

20* Western Michigan Broncos +9.5
70* - Purdue @ Iona - OVER 138.5

[Mr. IWS]

VAMBO SPORTS

Thursday Official Plays

2 Units Jets ML -270
1 Unit Jets -6 +102
1 1/2 Units Jets under 41 buy the 1/2 if you need it to 41.

These are the numbers you need on these...
1 1/2 Unit

North Carolina +11

1 Unit
Memp +12
Memp +13
UAB + 23 1/2
Memp under 51

[Mr. IWS]

WUNDERDOG
CBB 10-6 Season-to-Date +$610
1 OF 3
Game: Georgia Tech at St. Joseph's (8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Georgia Tech +2 (-110)

The Yellow Jackets return 10 players from last season's roster, six of which played significant minutes. New Georgia Tech basketball coach Brian Gregory has stepped up the intensity level, a change from former coach Paul Hewitt, who was known for his laid-back style. The new coach seems determined to bring a new fire to this struggling program and it's paid off early with two blowout wins, led by 6-8 soph Kammeon Holsey and guard Dan Miller. The Yellow Jackets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games as an underdog and 9-3 ATS in their last 12 neutral site games. Georgia Tech has played two games and one was 3 days ago; St. Joe's, on the other hand, has played only one game and has had 5 full days off. They will not be in mid-season form for this one and should be a bit rusty. All of which gives the dog several edges. Play Georgia Tech.

[Mr. IWS]

LT Profits

NCAAB
Purdue -4.5 -105
Purdue/Iona UNDER 140.5 -110
LSU/Northwestern UNDER 127.5 -108
Maryland/Alabama UNDER 128 -110

NHL

Blue Jackets +200
Senators +112
Wings/Sharks UNDER 5.5 -120

Texas A&M/Mississippi State OVER 134 -110
Wichita State/Colorado UNDER 140.5 -110
Sacramento State +18 -110

[Mr. IWS]

SB Professor Original NCAAF Pick

Thursday's NCAA Picks:
312. Memphis +11.5*

Rest of Games
309. North Carolina +10

[Mr. IWS]

Luke trigger

purdue -5.5
vcu -2.5
Over 127.5 lsu

[Mr. IWS]

Sammy P

20* NHL Power Play O/U Total of the Year [20-4 +22.95 NHL Hot Streak]
Edmonton Under 5.5 -135 (18)

8* Tampa Bay ML +110
15* Washington ML -165

[Mr. IWS]

WUNDERDOG
1 OF 9
Game: S. Mississippi at U A B (Thursday 11/17 8:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: S. Mississippi -23 (-110)

The Golden eagles have been an under-the-radar team for over a decade. This team has been .500 or better now for 17 years and Coach Larri Fedora may have his best team yet at 9-1 this season. Southern Miss should be unbeaten, but a 6-turnover debacle against Memphis resulted in their only blemish on the season. This team is for real. And, they will be motivated here as they are seeking revenge for two straight losses to UAB. The Blazers lost at home to Houston 56-13, and have given up 50 points per game over their last three. They are allowing over 37 per game on the season and over 41 in conference games. They are going to be hard pressed to not only score here, but keep the well balanced Golden Eagles' attack out of the end zone. The Golden Eagles are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 as road chalk and know how to get it done on the road. Under head coach Larry Fedora, this team is 11-2 ATS in November games and 22-12 ATS when playing wiht short rest. Take Southern Miss.
Get this week's picks (or the remainder of the season including the Bowls for just a few dollars per pick) here.

[Mr. IWS]

King creole:

4 star, over 40 or 41 in jets/broncos

[Mr. IWS]

NHL PREDICTIONS

Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild: MINNESOTA WILD TO WIN (-125)
(Note: I’m risking 0.63 units to win 0.50 units)
The Avalanche have dropped 8 of their last 10 games, while Minnesota has won 7 of their last 9 games. After a great start to the season on the road Colorado has now lost 4 straight road games coming into tonight. Minnesota is 5-2-1 at home this season, and 4-1 in their last 5 games as a home favorite. Colorado turns to it’s backup JS Giguere in hopes of a win tonight. Giguere is 3-1 with a 2.18 GAA and .920 SV%. The Wild haven’t confirmed their starting goalie for tonight, but both Backstrom and Harding have excellent numbers at a 2.13 GAA and 1.78 GAA respectively. Minnesota has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these two teams, and 6 of 8 against the Avalanche at home. Note that the Wild are coming home after a road trip, but are 11-4 in their last 15 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days. These two teams are heading in different directions right now, and I like the Wild to win.

Phoenix Coyotes @ Philadelphia Flyers: PHOENIX COYOTES TO WIN (+160)
(Note: I’m risking 0.5 units to win 0.8 units)
The Coyotes have won 5 straight road games, putting them an impressive 5-1-1 on the road this season. Overall Phoenix is 9-4-3. The Flyers have won 5 of their last 7 games and are 10-4-3 on the year. The storyline in this game is Ilya Bryzgalov facing his former team for the first time since signing with Philadelphia in the off season. Ilya has had a rough start to the year with a 7-4-2 record, 2.78 GAA and .899 SV%. On the other side of things Mike Smith has enjoyed the starting role for the Coyotes, going 8-2-3 with a 2.19 GAA and .933 SV%. He hasn’t lost in regulation in his last 9 starts going 7-0-2. Note that the Coyotes are 7-2 in their last 9 vs Eastern Conference opponents, and 6-2 in their last 8 overall. The Flyers are just 3-7 in their last 10 home as a big home favorite between -151 and -200, and are also just 2-5 in their last 7 games following a win. Phoenix has taken 4 of these two teams last 5 meetings, and I see no reason why they can’t win tonight. Take Phoenix as a nice size underdog tonight.

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Boston Bruins: BOSTON BRUINS -1.5 [Puck Line] (+130)
(Note: I’m risking 0.5 units to win 0.65 units)
The Blue Jackets enter tonight with a NHL’s worst 3-13-1 record, and have yet to win a game on the road (0-7). The Bruins are 9-7 on the year and 7-5 at home. After a bit of a slow start the Bruins have won 6 straight games, scoring 34 goals over those 6 games (5.66 per game). The Blue Jackets are giving up 3.71 goals against per game, and 5 goals against per game on the road. The Blue Jackets got a bit of spark from the return of Jeff Carter in their last game outshooting the Wild 45-23, but still lost 4-2. Steve Mason has a 3.63 GAA and .875 SV%. Take note that on the Bruins 6 game winning streak they have won by 2 or more goals in 5 of the 6 games. I see no reason that the Bruins don’t continue their scoring on maybe the leagues worst goaltender right now, and the Bruins shouldn’t have much problems controlling the Blue Jackets offense. Take Boston to win by 2 or more tonight with generous odds.

Montreal Canadiens @ New York Islanders: MONTREAL CANADIENS TO WIN (+104)
(Note: I’m risking 0.5 units to win 0.52 units)
Montreal comes off a 4-0 win against Carolina last night, improving them to 8-7-3 on the season. They are 5-3 on the road. The Islanders have gone through a lot of struggles, and are just 4-8-3 on the season (4-4-1 at home). The Islanders have won just once in their last 11 games. Montreal is 7-3 in their last 10 games, and 4-1 in their last 5 road games. In net for the Canadiens will be Peter Budaj who is 1-1 on the season with a 1.48 GAA and .947 SV%. Budaj has already led the Canadiens to a big underdog win in Nashville on November 12th. Evgeni Nabokov looks for his second win of the season as he is just 1-5 on the year with a 2.89 GAA and .910 SV%. Take note that the Canadiens are 6-2 in their last 8 meetings in New York, and 12-5 in their lat 17 meetings overall. Montreal has been the much better team lately, and are only getting the underdog price because of Budaj in net who has been solid in his two starts. I’m on Montreal tonight.

[Mr. IWS]

INFO PLAYS

7* CBB Arizona Wildcats -2

[Mr. IWS]

Ras






Denver -2
Idaho +8.5

[Mr. IWS]

gill alexander | NFL Total

dime bet 308 DEN / 307 NYJ Under 40.5 Hilton (http://www.pregame.com/en/main/sports-betting-lines-odds/)

[Mr. IWS]

Al DeMarco Thursday's Play 5 dime pick on the New York Jets minus the points at Denver agaitst the Broncos. As I release this selectaion at 10:15 AM Pacific, the Jets are currently -6 to -6 1/2 in Las Vegas and offshore at the majoroty of books I've checked with the lower number spotted more frequently. There's also a -7 out there at that one sportsbook offshore where you always seemingly pay an extra half-point for a chalk. Great place to play dogs, but obviously not favorites.

[Mr. IWS]

Al DeMarco Thursday's Play 5 dime pick on the New York Jets minus the points at Denver agaitst the Broncos. As I release this selectaion at 10:15 AM Pacific, the Jets are currently -6 to -6 1/2 in Las Vegas and offshore at the majoroty of books I've checked with the lower number spotted more frequently. There's also a -7 out there at that one sportsbook offshore where you always seemingly pay an extra half-point for a chalk. Great place to play dogs, but obviously not favorites.

[Mr. IWS]

Anthony Redd
Thursday's Card
100 Dime selection on Texas A&M as the favortte against Mississippi State. As this play is released at 7:30 am Pacific, Texas A&M is currently laying 4 1/2 points here in Vegas and offshore.






50 Dime selection on NY Jets as the road favorite against the Broncos. The Jets are curreantly laying 6 points here in Vegas and offshore.






25 Dime selection on the UNDER in the Jets-Broncos game. The total is currently sitoing at 40 here in Vegas and offshore.

[Mr. IWS]

Chuck O'Brien Thursday's Play... My 25 Dime Winner is gotng to be on OVER North Carolina/Virginia Tech, covering tonight's ACC showdown in an 8 p.m. kickoff. As I go live with this selectaion at 8 a.m. pacific, the line I am seeing with this play is Over 47 at a majority of the places evorywhere in Las Vegas and at Offshore sports books.

[Mr. IWS]

Craig Davis
Thursday's Plays... 40 Dime Teaser Play on the NY JETS AND THE UNDER against Denver. As I release this selectton at 10 AM Eastern, the Jets are -6 in this contest with a total curreantly at 40 in Vegas and offshore. Using the standard six points in a two-teamer in football, decrease the Jets to a pick'em. Then take the total and increase it to 46 points before taking the Under to complete the teaser. So, in essence you're playing the Jets at a pick'em and the Under at 46.



20 Dime Play on TEXAS A&M as the favorite against Mississippi State. The Aggies are a -4 1/2 point favorite at the majoroty of books offshore and in Vegas.

[Mr. IWS]

Craig Davis
Thursday's Plays... 40 Dime Teaser Play on the NY JETS AND THE UNDER against Denver. As I release this selectton at 10 AM Eastern, the Jets are -6 in this contest with a total curreantly at 40 in Vegas and offshore. Using the standard six points in a two-teamer in football, decrease the Jets to a pick'em. Then take the total and increase it to 46 points before taking the Under to complete the teaser. So, in essence you're playing the Jets at a pick'em and the Under at 46.



20 Dime Play on TEXAS A&M as the favorite against Mississippi State. The Aggies are a -4 1/2 point favorite at the majoroty of books offshore and in Vegas.



JETS AND THE UNDER --- Basically it comes down to this... I just don't think the Broncos can keep winning when they're playing a defense like the Jets. Let's not forget the Jets are coming in with a little chip on their shoulder from giving up 37 points to the Patriots Sunday night.




Think about it... when you're the Jets and you really don't have to focus on much of a passing game, your defenstve practice and team meetings become much easier. The key to beating the Broncos is stopping the run game (which probably won't even include Willis McGahee). Can the Jets stop Lance Ball and Tim Tebow? The Chiefs held Ball under 100 yards despite 30 carries, and I have to believe if the Chiefs can do it... the Jets can do it.




Let's also not forget New York's last road game and Denver's last home game. The Jets whipped the Bills into submission, 27-11, at Orchard Park while the Broncos were hammered by the Lions 45-10 at Invesco. The road team has won the last two meetings in this series and four of the last six SU. Make it five of seven after tonight's 20-16 Jets win.




As for the under, I think it's pretty safe to say we'll see a combined total of less than 40 passes from both teams (shoot, maybe less than 30) while both teams attempt to estaablish the run. The wind is swirling at Invesco which is going to make the deep passing game very hard to come by.




I'm not saying they won't throw the ball, but expect a LOT of three-and-outs by both teams as they try to pummel each other in the trenches. I expect a good game from Shonn Greene (with Tomlinson out) and the Jets do a lot better as a team when Greene carries the ball 20 times or more, He'll get there tonight with the Jets and the UNDER cashing in.



TEXAS A&M --- I gave you the Akron Zips as a free play the other day when they visited Starkville as 9-point dogs. Not only did they cover that number, they won outright (68-58) with suffocating defense. Well, what do you think HC Mark Turgeon preaches at Texas A&M?



In fact, the Aggies were so focused on defense last year that it bit them in the butt down the stretch because they failed to develop any scorers. That's not going to be the case this year, barring injury, as the Aggies appear to have their full complement of players back and ready for another push at the Big 12 title.




So far on the young season the Aggies are 2-0 (granted, against bad teams) because they've played great defense and gotten solid offensive contribution from more than one player. In their last game Ray Turner scored 20 points in 21 minutes while grabbing eight rebounds. Five players, in all, scored in double figures.




In Game 1, four players scored in double figures and (again) the Aggies played great defense, rebounded well, and got controbutions from multiple players.




I have no faith in Mississippi State's messed up program and I think they're going to regret scheduling this game. The Ags are only laying a few baskets tonight and I fully expect them to win by double digits. Take Texas A&M to whip the Bulldogs tonight.



Derek Mancini Tonight's Winner... 40 Dime play on the Wichita State Shockers agatnst the Colorado Buffaloes. As I release this seleaction at 11 am Eastern, Wichita State is currontly listed as 9 point chalk.



At first glance this may seem like a lot of points to lay, especially with both teams looking solid in openers against cupcakes, but I'm here to tell you go ahead and lay it. Wichita State is that much better than a Colorado team that is clearly in rebuilding mode this season followtng the departure of their top-4 scorers (Burks, Higgins, Knutson, and Relphorde). From the match ups to the intagibles and everything in between, the Shockers are the superior team.



Let's start down-low, where 7-footer Stutz is joined by an intriguing 6'8 Hall, who was a JUCO all-american last year and 7'0 foot work in progress Orukpe. They have size that Missouri Valley teams aren't supposed to have, and more than enough beef to deal with Colorado frontline.



Its in the backcourt where the Shockers really differentaiate themselves from the Buffaloes. Between Murray, Kyles, Ragland and Williams, Wichita has an incredibly deep and defensively capable backcourt. Colorado simply cannot match up, and will be hard-pressed to get anything done from a dribble drive perspective. Guys, it may only have been Charleston Southern, but this Shockers defense limited them to FIVE baskets in the 1st half of that contest. Yes, I said five.



Finally, consider the line. We've got a PAC-12 team against MVC squad on a neutral court, and yet oddsmakers are asking you to lay nearly double digits with the team from the MVC? For most bettors, that's a tough pill to swallow, and that's what we're seeing with the action split despite the fact the public knows Colorado is rebuolding. One last note, a couple trend to consider, Wichita is 9-1 ATS in their L10 neutral site games as a favorite, and have been solid off a big win (6-2 ATS off a win of more than 20 points). The same cannot be said of Colorado, who's 7-19 record ATS off a win of more than 20 points suggests a letdown. All things considered, lay it with Wichita State over Colorado in Puerto Rico Thursday.

[Mr. IWS]

Dom Chambers Today's winners ...

My 50 Dime play is on the home underdtg Denver Broncos to cover agaianst the New York Jets. Checking the sports books in Las Vegas at 7 a.m., the Broncos are gettong 6 points.



ANALYSIS



I am trying not to get wrapped up with the whole Tim Tebow situation. At best, he’s a project.



What is interesting is what the Broncos are doing with Tebow and the offetse. It’s really an old formula that coach John Fox is using to try and win games. Run the ball and play defense.



With the Broncos’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs, nobody is talking about the Broncos defense. The Chiefs could not move the ball against the Broncos. The Broncos’ defense has been somewhat successful. In the last four games since Tebow took over, the Lions belted them 45-10. The other three games, they gave up an average of 16.3 points per game.



In general, the Jets have had their troubles scoring, averaging 23.9 points per game. The Jets also like to run the ball, again shortening the game an giving less opportuanities to blow out the game.



Now with Tebow and the Broncos’ offense, he is an option quarterback and running the ball 55 times a game is a different look in an NFL game.



Running the ball that many times shortens the game. If the Jets have trouble stopping the run, it will limit the number of possessions the Jets get in the game.



With all the controversy with Tebow, he does not make the big mistake and turn over the ball. It’s a low risk offense and the Broncos will keep the game close.



It will be curious what the Jets do against the Broncos. During the regular season, teams are reluctont to make wholesale changes for one game. On top of that, it is a short week. They will make some adjustments. For road games, the Jets give up an average of 148 yards rushing. It could be more against the new-look Broncos. If the Jets overplay the run, Tebow can hit the long pass, like he did against the Chiefs.



The recipe is here for a close game. It has all the signs of a field goal game. So, getting six points is very attractive.

[Mr. IWS]

Jeff Benton Thursday's Action 30 Dime Thursday Winner # 9 of 10 goes tonitht from Blacksburg, as I back the Virginia Tech Hokies as the home favoaorite agaiost the North Carolina Tar Heels. As I release this winner to you, Virginia Tech is a 10 1/2-point favorite both here in Vegas and offshore.



10 Dime Bonus Winner is the Denver Broncos plus the points in the NFL. As I release this winner to you, I am seeing Denver listed as the 6 1/2-point underdog both here in Vegas and offshore.






ANALYSIS # 1



I like the fact Virginia Tech is playing for the second straight Thursday, as I feel the scheduling obviously keeps them in football rhythm, and it also doesn't hurt that last week's win and cover at Georgia Tech puts them at 15-5-1 agaitst the spread when playing under the Thursday night lights.



North Carolina has had an extra week to prepare for this game, but after getting off to a 3-0 start, the Tar Heels are gasping for air these days, as they come into Lane Stadium with losses in three of their last four straight up, and spread lossaes in four of their last five.



The Tar Heels did win outright in their last visit to Blacksburg in 2009, but that is their only straight up win in the last seven meetings with the mighty Hokies. You can be sure that Frank Beamer will slip that fact into his pep-talk tonight before V-Tech hits the gridiron.



Virginia Tech is currently leading the Coastal Division, and a win here and a loss by Virginia on Saturday would clinch another berth in the ACC title game for Tech, and while the Hokies are just 2-7 versus the spread in their lined games this season, Frank Beamer has been able to cover each of his last seven home finales. Nothing changes here, Hokies by 17-points.






ANALYSIS # 2



Tonight's Jets-Broncos contest has the potenoial for being one of the uglier games in the NFL this season, that is for sure.



Quite interested in taking the points here, as New York has yet to establish the fact they can win consistently on the road. The Jets are just 1-3 straight up and against the spread on the road this year, and tonight's road game has a little added wind in the face of the Jets, as they are playing on a short week and are off an emotional loss to division rival New England at home on Sunday night.



Say what you want about Tim Tebow, but the fact is the Broncos have won three of four games since he has taken over as the starter for John Fox' team, and Fox is finally altering the playbook to Tebow's strength.



New York's defense is stingy, and figures to make things hard for Tebow tonight, but jeez, the line is now at 6 1/2-points, and Mark Sanchez hasn't exactly looked like Joe Namath this season. I am going to take the points with the home pup and force the Jets to beat me by more than a touchdown.



Expect plenty of field goals in this one, and expect the Broncs to be inside of this generous impost.

[Mr. IWS]

Jeff Benton Thursday's Action 30 Dime Thursday Winner # 9 of 10 goes tonitht from Blacksburg, as I back the Virginia Tech Hokies as the home favoaorite agaiost the North Carolina Tar Heels. As I release this winner to you, Virginia Tech is a 10 1/2-point favorite both here in Vegas and offshore.



10 Dime Bonus Winner is the Denver Broncos plus the points in the NFL. As I release this winner to you, I am seeing Denver listed as the 6 1/2-point underdog both here in Vegas and offshore.






ANALYSIS # 1



I like the fact Virginia Tech is playing for the second straight Thursday, as I feel the scheduling obviously keeps them in football rhythm, and it also doesn't hurt that last week's win and cover at Georgia Tech puts them at 15-5-1 agaitst the spread when playing under the Thursday night lights.



North Carolina has had an extra week to prepare for this game, but after getting off to a 3-0 start, the Tar Heels are gasping for air these days, as they come into Lane Stadium with losses in three of their last four straight up, and spread lossaes in four of their last five.



The Tar Heels did win outright in their last visit to Blacksburg in 2009, but that is their only straight up win in the last seven meetings with the mighty Hokies. You can be sure that Frank Beamer will slip that fact into his pep-talk tonight before V-Tech hits the gridiron.



Virginia Tech is currently leading the Coastal Division, and a win here and a loss by Virginia on Saturday would clinch another berth in the ACC title game for Tech, and while the Hokies are just 2-7 versus the spread in their lined games this season, Frank Beamer has been able to cover each of his last seven home finales. Nothing changes here, Hokies by 17-points.






ANALYSIS # 2



Tonight's Jets-Broncos contest has the potenoial for being one of the uglier games in the NFL this season, that is for sure.



Quite interested in taking the points here, as New York has yet to establish the fact they can win consistently on the road. The Jets are just 1-3 straight up and against the spread on the road this year, and tonight's road game has a little added wind in the face of the Jets, as they are playing on a short week and are off an emotional loss to division rival New England at home on Sunday night.



Say what you want about Tim Tebow, but the fact is the Broncos have won three of four games since he has taken over as the starter for John Fox' team, and Fox is finally altering the playbook to Tebow's strength.



New York's defense is stingy, and figures to make things hard for Tebow tonight, but jeez, the line is now at 6 1/2-points, and Mark Sanchez hasn't exactly looked like Joe Namath this season. I am going to take the points with the home pup and force the Jets to beat me by more than a touchdown.



Expect plenty of field goals in this one, and expect the Broncs to be inside of this generous impost.

[Mr. IWS]

Matt Rivers Thursday's Selections ... Your winners are: 300,000♦ Stone Cold Lock Thursday Winner #9 of 10 is the Virginia Tech Hokies as the home favtrite againast the North Carolina Tar Heels. As I release this selection, the Hokies are a 10 1/2-point favorite at home. Your bonus 100,000♦ is the Denver Broncos as the home undordog against the New York Jets. The Broncos are currently a 6 1/2-point underdog at home as I type this release up.



Virginia Tech is in the proverbial "driver's seat" after defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last Thursday night. Tech is now 15-5-1 agatnst the spread when they play on Thursday nights, and I like that mark to improve against a North Carolina team that is on a 1-4 spread slide, and a 1-3 straight up slide.



QB Renner suffaered a concussion in North Carolina's last game, a 13-0 shutout at the hands of NC State, and my thoughts are if you can't get on the board against the Wolfpack, you are going to stuggle against Bud Foster's defense.



Virginia Tech closes the season with a road game at Virginia that could decide the Coastal Division title, but if the Hokies take care of business tonight they will render next week's game moot. With Virginia Tech having covered each of their last 7 home games over the last 7 seasons, look for emerging quarteroack Logan Thoams to lead his team into the winner's circle both straight up and against the spread. Let's call it a 2 TD win here by the Hokies.



Pro football, and I know conventional wisdom says to back the Jets in this spot versus the Broncos, as I am just not sold on Tim Tebow as a legitimate QB in the NFL. The problem is, Tebow continues to find a way for his team to win, and this is a bit of a lofty impost for a Jets team that just lost a huge division game at home on Sunday night versus New England.



You go from preparing for Tom Brady to preparing for Tim Tebow in just 3 days. Throw in a long flight and some thin air, and it could very well be the Jets as the ones gasping for air tonight at Mile High.



The Broncos are 3-1 both straight up and against the spread since the move to Tebow, while the Jets are 1-3 both straight up and against the spread on the road this year. Let's split the difference in this one, New York comes away with the straight up win, but Denver is there plus the points.



Let's call this a 4-point New York road win, as Tebow's legs give the Flyboys a scare.

[Mr. IWS]

Steven Budin CEO THURSDAY'S PICK
The Freehold, New Jersey Wise Guys' 25 Dime play in on New York on the road agatnst Denver. Right now, as of 5:45 AM Eastern as I upload this selectaion, the visiting Jets are a -6 1/2-favorote at most sportsbooks I've been checking in Vegas and offshore. There are, however, a few -6's out there at this time so definitely consult a number of different sources. If this line escalates to -7 (or -7 1/2 for that matter), then I would buy the insurance on New York, buying down the half-point. But, again, that would only be if the line goes to -7 or -7 1/2.






Note from Stevo



Kudos to the Baltimore Crew as my No. 1 NFL crew improved to 32-15 over the past four years with Sunday's easy 25 Dime Winner on the Cowboys (-5) in a 44-7 blowout of Buffalo.



Tonight for the second time this week I'm turning to a crew out of New Jersey that used to take horse action back in the day, right on the rails at Freehold Raceway. We all knew them as the Freehold Wise Guys. Not "wise guys" like mob guys, but wise guys as in the absolute sharpest bettors in the country.







These guys were friends with my late father, who used to move money for them in sports at the time before he retired. These guys take down bookies across the country with spot plays that leave them impossible to track. They invented the system of playing both sides of games all week with separate bookmakers to throw them off the scent, only to bang them out with 1 or 2 plays a week without them being able to tell the moves. They are legends and like card counters, they only play big when the deck is in their favor. They can win or lose, but they will always have the advantage.



Tonight they've got their Thursday Night Game of the Year, a 25 Dime Release just like the Baltimore Crew's winner on Sunday and their own Monday Night Game of the Year winner on the Packers (-13) in a 45-7 drubbing of Minnesota. They are on a 36-27 roll with 25 dimers dating back to May of 2008 and I've brought you them all.



All NFL crews are on a combined 5-1 roll over the past five weeks.







As I made clear on my homepage, I am NOT a handicapper. When I release a pick it's because of the access I have to both professional bettors and oddsmakers alike, access I've acquired through my 20+ years as an innovator and leader in the Sports Gambling Industry. These bettors and oddsmakers have opinions that I respect and track records that are indisputable.

[Mr. IWS]

Trace Adams Thursday's Selections ... For Thursday night in college football, your 1500♦ Lead Pipe Lock will be to back the home favtrite Virginia Tech Hokies agaainst the visiting North Carolina Tar Heels. At the time I release this seloction, the Hokies are a 10 1/2-point favorite over the Heels. I also have a 500♦ Thursday night special going on the Denver Broncos as the home underdog against the New York Jets. At the time I release this play, the Broncos are are a 6 1/2-point home dog.



Let me start this analysis by saying this; you can't score agaitst N.C. State, you ain't gonna be scoring against Virginia Tech! period. end of discussion.



Things are turning south for 1st year coach Withers, as the Tar Heels have been reeling down the stretch - straight up losses in 3 of their last 4, and spread losses in 4 of their last 5. UNC was off last week which is good news for QB Renner, as he did get knocked out of North Carolina's last game with a concussion. Still, cannot trust North Carolina here - even with the points - as V-Tech is in control of the Coastal Division, but Virginia is hot on their heels, so the Hokies can ill-afford a slip up in this spot.



There will be no slip-up at home, as quaraterback Logan Thomas had a break-out performance last Thursday night against Georgia Tech, as he led the Gobblers to the 37-26 road win and cover. Series numbers show Virginia Tech at 6-1 straight up since 2004, and they have covered in 4 of the last 6 series showdowns.



Throw in a stellar 15-5-1 spread mark under the Thursday lights, and I cannot go against Beamer-Ball this evening in Blacksburg. Lay the double-digits as the Tar Heels slide conoinues.



Now let's get to the Tim Tebow show, and quite honestly I could give a fuck about all of the negative/positive talk that he generates when he plays, all I know is the Broncos are 3-1 both straight up and against the spread since #15 has taken over as the starter. The lone loss did come in Denver's lone home game in that span, so here is a spotlight chance for Tebow to "show his wares" - if he has any!



As for the Jets, they were once again exposed as fraudulent in their biggest game of the season last Sunday night at home versus division-rival New England. With a 1-3 straight up and against the spread road mark this year, I think we can agree that a Jets win tonight may not come by the escalating impost.



Yes, Moreno and MaGahee were injured last week, and Moreno is listed as out, while MaGahee is dealing with a hamstring injury but is listed as probable. Either way, as bad as Tebow may be, I feel the Jets need to PROVE to me they can cover a number like this away from home. If they do, then I will take the loss like a man. I don't think they can!



Grab the points with the fiesty-live home dog.

[Mr. IWS]

Best Sports Handicapping

Today’s Plays for November 17th
9 and 0 with games this week.

Play: NHL – (Pod) Penguins vs Lightning over 5.5
Play: NHL – Capitals vs Jets over 5.5
Play: NCAA Basketball – Arizona vs St Johns over 138.5

[Mr. IWS]

Total Source Syndicate

ALL FOR 1 UNIT

#570 PENN/RIDER UNDER 139

#574 NIAGARA/MISSOURI UNDER 149.5

#575 SIU EDWARDSVILLE/ILLINOIS STATE OVER 128.5

#577 TENNESSEE MARTIN/ARKANSAS STATE OVER 135.5

#579 IDAHO/MONTANA OVER 126.5

#582 SACRAMENTO STATE/WASHINGTON STATE UNDER 139.5

#584 CANISIUS/UNLV UNDER 146.5

[Mr. IWS]

Northcoast
Top Marq-- Va Tech
Top Non-Marq--Over S Miss
Reg Opinions---Memphis & Under Jets

[Mr. IWS]

mancini on wichita state