1-4-14

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::clap::

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Today's NFL Picks

New Orleans at Philadelphia

The Eagles host the Wild Card round against a New Orleans team that is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 road games. Philadelphia is the pick (-2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Eagles favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2 1/2). Here are all of this week's picks.


SATURDAY, JANUARY 4
Time Posted: 9:00 p.m. EST (1/1)


Game 101-102: Kansas City at Indianapolis (4:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City 132.537; Indianapolis 140.116
Dunkel Line: Indianapolis by 7 1/2; 42
Vegas Line: Indianapolis by 2 1/2; 46 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indianapolis (-2 1/2); Under


Game 103-104: New Orleans at Philadelphia (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 134.432; Philadelphia 140.086
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 5 1/2; 57
Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 2 1/2; 53 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2 1/2); Over

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NCAA Football Game Picks



SATURDAY, JANUARY 4
Time Posted: 8:00 p.m. EST (12/16)


Game 265-266: Vanderbilt vs. Houston (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vanderbilt 92.717; Houston 94.638
Dunkel Line: Houston by 2; 59
Vegas Line: Vanderbilt by 3; 54
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+3); Over





OTHER MAJOR GAMES:
Time Posted: 8:00 p.m. EST (12/25)


Game 109-110: Towson vs. North Dakota State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Towson 74.985; North Dakota State 101.258
Dunkel Line: North Dakota State by 26 1/2
Vegas Line: North Dakota State by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: North Dakota State (-13 1/2)

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NFL Wildcard trends: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
By MARC LAWRENCE

Don’t look now but the 2013 NFL season is in the rear view mirror and with it the start of the Wild Card playoff games starting this Saturday. Let’s take a look at some of the best, and worst, trends surrounding this weekend’s card.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Here’s a brief capsule of the teams and noteworthy trends:

Kansas City at Indianapolis (-2.5, 46.5)
Good: Chiefs coach Andy Reid 3-0 ATS away non-division playoff dog
Bad: Reid 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS last five games vs. the Colts
Ugly: Colts 0-3 SU and ATS last three playoff games

New Orleans at Philadelphia (-2.5, 53)
Good: Saints QB Drew Brees is 4-2 SU and ATS career vs. Philadelphia
Bad: Saints 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS away this season, averaged 17.8 PPG
Ugly: Saints 0-5 SU and ATS all-time away in NFL playoffs

San Diego at Cincinnati (-7, 47)
Good: Bengals 4-0 SU and ATS off a win in this series
Bad: Chargers 2-9 ATS vs. AFC North last five years
Ugly: Bengals 0-5 SU and ATS last five playoff games

San Francisco at Green Bay (48, +2.5)
Good: Jim Harbaugh is 3-0 SU and ATS vs. Green Bay
Bad: Mike McCarthy is 5-8 SU and ATS as a home dog
Ugly: Super Bowl losers are 0-5 SU and 0-4-1 ATS away Game One playoffs

Home Field Disadvantage

Home cooking used to be a solid handicapping edge during the playoffs. Not so anymore.

For the longest time backing home teams in the NFL postseason has been a solid-moneymaker, going 172-120-6 (55.1%) dating back to 1980.

Today, however, that would be a mistake as the success of home teams in the playoffs has dissolved quicker than Alka Seltzer in a cold glass of water on New Year’s morning.

A closer look finds home teams just 119-107-5 ATS (51.%) since the 1990 season and, even worse, 64-66-1 ATS (49.2%) since 2000. Thus, like the economy, NFL playoff hosts have fallen on hard times.

Division Downers

Wild card road teams have a difficult time after dueling a division opponent in their season ending finale, going 21-43-1 ATS – including 1-7 ATS the last two years.

Send these highwaymen out as dogs of more than 3 points and the task worsens as they are 4-33 SU and 9-28 ATS.

Not a good sign for the Chargers this week.

ATS Diabetes

Like kids in a candy store, NFL Wild Card teams playing off huge regular season wins tend to crash-and-burn in these playoff openers.

Teams off a SU underdog win are just 11-25 SU and 13-22-1 ATS, including 3-15 SU and 4-14 ATS if the Over/Under total in today’s game is set at more than 41 points.

So long 49ers.

In a similar vein, teams suffer from more than a sugar rush In opening round playoff games if they managed to they beat the spread by 10 or points, going just 9-19-1 ATS when on the road during this round.

The Chiefs and the Saints could be up against it this weekend.

Stat of the Week

The straight-up winner in NFL opening round playoff games is 104-11-3 ATS since 1980.

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NFL line watch: Bolts bettors should wait to charge
By ART ARONSON

Each week during the pro football season, Covers Expert Art Aronson looks at the NFL odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out.

Spread to bet now

New Orleans Saints (+2.5) at Philadelphia Eagles

What you see is what you get with the early number in this one. Philadelphia opened up as a 2.5-point favorite and, with pretty much even wagering, that’s likely to hold firm. So if you’re waiting for this one to tip a half point either way, you most likely are out of luck.

As to the game, the spread seems to be too thin by about a point - especially considering that the Saints have not played one game this season in cold weather, which is invading the Northeast this week.

Did you think on Halloween night that the Eagles had a ghost of a chance of going 7-1 on the back nine? Only a defensive letdown in Minnesota sits between Philly and an eight-game winning streak. Andy Reid might still be in town if he had had more confidence in Nick Foles and less in Michael Vick.

Spread to wait on

San Diego Chargers (+7) at Cincinnati Bengals

Say what you want about Andy Dalton, but the kid is seventh in the league in passing yards and the Bengals have put up nearly 27 points a game (more than Seattle, San Francisco and Indianapolis) this season.

Just about a month ago the Bengals headed west and picked up a nice 17-10 win over San Diego in a defensive battle that was primarily played out between the 40 yard lines.

There has been decent early money on Cincinnati, even with the substantial line, but if the money gets serious come close to game time, they might be forced to either throw another half point more on the number.

San Diego backers, who like the way the Chargers have played on the road this season (wins at Denver, Kansas City and Philadelphia give the Bolts some significant street cred), could then swarm.

Total to watch

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (46.5)

You can build a legitimate case for this one going Under based on the game that these teams played in Kansas City a little more than a week ago. The Colts’ defense put the hammer down on Kansas City’s offense, holding the Chiefs to just about 300 total yards.

But the Chiefs were crushed by turnovers in that game. Three fumbles were lost, and K.C. recovered three more of its own bobbles. Alex Smith also threw an interception.

All that won’t happen the second time around. The Chiefs should be fresh (most starters sat out the regular season finale) and figure to move the ball. Adjustments will be made and there should be some points scored in this one.

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Nelly's Green Sheet:

Indy over KC by 7

Philly over NO by 4

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Playbook:

Indy over KC by 6

Philly over NO by 7

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PointWISE:

Indy 30 KC 23

Philly 33 NO 23

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Goldsheet:

Indy 24
KC 17

NO 24
Philly 21

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Norm Hitzges

January 3-6, 2014
Last week: 13-13
Season: 224-199

NFL


Indy -1 1/2 KC
Philly -2 1/2 New Orleans
Philly New Orleans UNDER 53 1/2

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EZWINNERS

5* 6 Point Teaser Chiefs +8.5 & Saints +8.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dave Cokin:

Compass Bowl: Houston +3

NFL:
Bengals -6.5

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Brady Kannon

Saints

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Nemo

# ship it

Houston -3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Capping NFL rematches: What to keep, throw away this Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Wild Card Weekend features three rematches from the regular season, with the Chiefs taking on the Colts, the Chargers facing the Bengals, and the 49ers clashing with the Packers.

The playoffs are a completely different beast than the regular season but there are lessons learned from those previous meetings that can help NFL bettors cash in during the postseason rematches. We break down those first encounters and tell you what you should keep and throw away from those games:

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (Pick, 46)

Original meeting: 23-7 Colts (Week 16)

What to keep: The Kansas City Chiefs were solid on defense against the Colts despite allowing Andrew Luck to pass fo4 241 yards. Kansas City allowed just 23 points in a game in which they were saddled with terrible field position thanks to a string of turnovers. Expect similarly solid defense from the Chiefs after resting the majority of their starters during Week 17.

What to throw away: It’s unlikely that the Chiefs will turn the ball over four times again this weekend. Kansas City ranked first in the AFC in turnover margin, giving away the ball only 18 times while forcing a total of 36 turnovers – 21 INTs and 15 fumbles – on the year. The Chiefs boast a +1.1 turnover margin per game – second best in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (2.5, 46.5)

Original meeting: 34-28 49ers (Week 1)

What to keep: Packers RB Eddie Lacy and 49ers RB Frank Gore each found the end zone in Week 1, posting near identical numbers. Lacy amassed 41 yards on 14 carries and added 31 yards receiving off a catch-and-run, while Gore totaled 44 yards on 21 touches while reeling in two passes for 21 yards. With wind expected to plague the passing game, each team could give the other a healthy dose of these two downhill runners.

What to throw away: Aaron Rodgers and Colin Kaepernick combined to pass for 745 yards on 48-for-76 passing in Week 1, each connecting for three TDs through the air. Rodgers is working his way back into game shape after missing extended time with a collarbone injury and Kaepernick hasn’t been able to repeat those Week 1 numbers, plagued by sporadic performances all season. The forecast in Lambeau Field is calling for chilly temperatures and winds getting up around 20 mph, so another air show from these two QBs is unlikely.

San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (-7, 47)

Previous meeting: 17-10 Bengals (Week 13)

What to keep: The Bengals held the Chargers offense to just 10 points and limited San Diego QB Philip Rivers to only 252 yards passing while forcing a costly interception on Dec. 1. Cincinnati was able to sack Rivers twice and keep things close after Bengals QB Andy Dalton struggled in the first half, giving Cincy a shot at winning the game in the final 30 minutes. The Bengals ranked fifth against the pass this season, allowing only 209 passing yards against per game, and ranked fourth in the AFC with 43 sacks.

What to throw away: Home-field advantage will not be had by the Chargers this weekend as they go from temperate San Diego to a chilly Paul Brown Stadium, where Cincinnati has yet to lose. The Chargers were .500 away from home this season, finishing 4-4 (4-3-1 ATS). If the Chargers want to keep their improbable winter run going forward, they will have to end the Bengals’ undefeated home record.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL Prop Shop: Wild Card Weekend
By SEAN MURPHY

It's playoff time in the NFL with Wild Card Weekend getting underway Saturday. Why not spice things up with some player prop bets? Covers Expert Sean Murphy opens the doors of the NFL Prop Shop and gives you his favorite player prop picks for this weekend's action:

Most passing yards

Alex Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)

I'm going to take a shot with Alex Smith at an underdog price in this matchup, for a couple of reasons.

First, I expect the Chiefs to be playing from behind for the better part of this game, forcing Smith to take to the air. Second, Kansas City has to realize that its passing game is an area where it will need to improve after Smith made only 16 completions for 153 yards in a 23-7 home loss to the Colts two weeks ago. The Colts defense has been vulnerable against the pass at times this season, giving up seven yards per pass play.

Even though QB Andrew Luck is the engine, the Colts still strive to be a run-oriented team on the offensive side of the ball. Luck will need to pick his spots against an opportunistic Chiefs secondary on Saturday.

Take: Smith

Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) vs. Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)

This play sets up similarly to our play on Alex Smith. There's a good chance the Chargers will be playing from behind for much of Sunday's game in Cincinnati, but that won't phase Philip Rivers, who brings a 'gunslinger' mentality to the table.

The Bengals defense has been terrific against the pass this season, but that's largely due to the fact that most teams have elected to run on them instead. San Diego didn't show much caution in its previous matchup with Cincinnati, airing it out 37 times in a 17-10 loss. Rivers threw for 252 yards compared to Andy Dalton's 190 on that day, and I'm expecting a similar ledger at the end of this rematch.

Take: Rivers

Most rushing yards

Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers)

As much as the Packers would like to lean heavily on their rookie running back, with Aaron Rodgers back under center, they'll undoubtedly fall in love with the passing game once again this week.

Lacy did run the ball 21 times last Sunday in Chicago, but only had moderate success, gaining just 66 yards. Veteran James Starks was actually the more explosive back on that day.

Frank Gore was a non-factor for the 49ers in last week's win over the Cardinals, but he was a workhorse in the previous two weeks, and I expect to see him resume that role against the Packers. Last week's poor performance doesn't take away from the fact that Gore has been running well, gaining at least 86 yards in three of his last four games. He'll find room to run against an up-and-down Packers defense on Sunday.

Take: Gore

Most pass receptions

Keenan Allen (San Diego Chargers) vs. A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals)

Since Week 4, Keenan Allen has emerged as Philip Rivers' favorite target, and even though he's a rookie, I expect him to be counted upon heavily in Sunday's showdown with the Bengals.

Note that Allen was a force against Cincinnati back in Week 13, hauling in eight catches for 106 yards.

A.J. Green has quietly emerged into a superstar, but that leaves hiim overvalued in terms of prop matchups more often than not. This is such a case as we're getting a healthy underdog return with Allen in what I feel is nothing more than a toss-up. In terms of yardage Green may win the battle, but as far as receptions go, I'll take my chances with Allen.

Take: Allen

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chiefs at Colts: What bettors need to know

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (Pick'em, 46)

Andrew Luck and Indianapolis Colts closed the season with three consecutive lopsided victories, including a 23-7 romp in Kansas City, and now have the luxury of home-field advantage when they host the Chiefs on Saturday in the AFC wild-card round. The Colts allowed a staggering 82 points in road losses to Arizona and Cincinnati before sinking the Chiefs, part of a three-game run that has seen them outscore the opposition 78-20. Indianapolis has dominated the series, winning five of the last six.

Unlike the Colts, Kansas City wobbled down the stretch, losing five of its last seven games after opening the season with nine straight wins and leading the league in points allowed. The Chiefs, seeking their first postseason victory since Joe Montana was under center in 1994, committed an uncharacteristic four turnovers in the loss to the Colts on Dec. 22. "They've got the upper hand on us right now because in their minds they think they can beat us," Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson said after last month's loss.

TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC.

LINE: The Colts opened at -2.5, but have been bet all the way to a pick'em. The total has moved down slightly from 46.5 to 46.

WEATHER: N/A.

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (11-5, 9-7 ATS): There remains uncertainty whether leading wide receiver Dwayne Bowe will be cleared to play after suffering a concussion, but that won't alter the game plan for quarterback Alex Smith and Kansas City. The Chiefs will feature a heavy dose of running back Jamaal Charles, who led the AFC with 1,287 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while hauling in a team-high 70 receptions and seven scoring passes. "We called him public enemy No. 1," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "If he doesn't touch the ball 30 times, I'd be shocked." After resting most of the starters in last week's loss at San Diego, the Chiefs are expecting the return of linebacker Justin Houston, who tied for the team sack lead (11) with Tamba Hali despite missing the last five games with a dislocated elbow.

ABOUT THE COLTS (11-5, 10-6 ATS): Indianapolis' offense went sideways when Luck lost his favorite target, Reggie Wayne, to a season-ending knee injury in Week 7. After a stretch of uneven performances, Luck has established a chemistry with young wideouts T.Y. Hilton, Griff Whalen and Da'Rick Rogers, throwing for eight touchdowns and one interception over the final four weeks. Hilton has emerged as a go-to receiver in his second season, hauling in 24 passes during the three-game win streak to finish with 82 on the season. Donald Brown has helped ease the sting of the trade for running back Trent Richardson by averaging 5.3 yards per carry and scoring six rushing TDs - two against the Chiefs. Robert Mathis, who had a league-high 19.5 sacks, heads a defense that yielded two TDs in the final three games

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Indianapolis.
* Chiefs are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 meetings.
* Road team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Smith had 11 TD passes versus one interception on the road as the Chiefs tied Miami (2008) and Indianapolis (2012) for the most wins by a team with two or fewer victories the previous season.

2. Luck's 13 home wins in his first two seasons ties him with Atlanta's Matt Ryan for the second most in the Super Bowl era.

3. Kansas City has averaged only 9.4 points in its last five losses to Indianapolis.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Saints at Eagles: What bettors need to know

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5, 53.5)

The New Orleans Saints have dominated opponents at home this season, but the road has been a different story for Drew Brees and company. The sixth-seeded Saints take aim at the first road playoff win in franchise history Saturday night when they visit the third-seeded Philadelphia Eagles, who enter this matchup as one of the hottest teams in the postseason. There likely will be no shortage of points, as the Eagles (second) and Saints (fourth) are among the league leaders in total offense while featuring some of the NFL's top skill-position players - Brees and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, and the Eagles' duo of quarterback Nick Foles and running back LeSean McCoy, just to name a few.

New Orleans had lost three of four before routing Tampa Bay 42-17 last week - a win that improved the Saints to 8-0 at home compared to their 3-5 record on the road. The Eagles, meanwhile, had lost 10 straight home games before winning their final four contests at Lincoln Financial Field, but first-year coach Chip Kelly knows that while the Saints present a much tougher challenge, the focus remains the same. "You can't be like, ‘Oh my God, now we are in the playoffs and we've got to do this,'" said Kelly. "I think that's really not our mindset. It's, we have got a really, really good Saints team coming in here and we have to prepare the heck out of our guys and play a big game on Saturday night."

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBC.

LINE: The Eagles have held steady as 2.5-point faves. The total opened at 54.5 and has moved down to 53.5.

WEATHER: It should be clear with temperatures in the mid 20s.

ABOUT THE SAINTS (11-5, 8-8 ATS): Brees, who was second in the NFL in passing yards (5,162) and touchdowns (39), believes that New Orleans is capable of winning three straight on the road in the playoffs after losing its final three road games of the regular season. "Absolutely," Brees said after the win against Tampa Bay. "We are good enough to do whatever we set out to do. I think today was a great step in the right direction to get ready for this playoff run." The Saints' defense is much improved from years past, as they allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the league (194.1) and surrendered 20 points or fewer 12 times, although they were the only NFL team without a defensive touchdown in 2013.

ABOUT THE EAGLES (10-6, 8-8 ATS): Philadelphia rebounded from a 3-5 start to win seven of its last eight games, thanks in large part to the steady play of Foles (27 TDs, two INTs, NFL-best 119.2 passer rating) and McCoy, who led the league with a franchise-record 1,607 rushing yards. Kelly's offense had 98 plays of at least 20 yards this season - the most since the Elias Sports Bureau began tracking the stat in 1995 - with DeSean Jackson (career highs of 82 catches for 1,332 yards) leading the way through the air. The NFC East champions must find some way to slow Graham, who paced the NFL with 16 touchdown catches, particularly given their history of struggling with opposing tight ends, including the Cowboys' Jason Witten (12 catches, 135 yards last week).

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Saints are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games.
* Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last six games in January.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Eagles last seven playoff home games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Only one team in the NFL (Seattle) created more turnovers than Philadelphia this season. The Eagles forced 31 turnovers - 19 interceptions and 12 fumbles - including three turnovers in their season-ending, do-or-die win at Dallas.

2. The game-time temperature could be in the 20's, but Saints running back Pierre Thomas isn't concerned. “I’m not worried about the cold,” said Thomas, who led the team with 549 rushing yards. “Actually, out there playing, I’m sweating so much my body’s overheating, I kind of need that cool air to cool me down.”

3. Since the NFL expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, a No. 6 seed has made it to the Super Bowl only twice - the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2010 Green Bay Packers, both of whom won it all.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tale of the Tape: Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts

The Kansas City Chiefs look to extend an amazing bounceback season as they visit the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC wild-card showdown Saturday afternoon.

The Chiefs, who won just two games a season ago, got off to a 9-0 start before running out of steam down the stretch. They'll face a Colts team that rolled to the NFC South championship and has caught fire at the right time with three straight victories to end the regular season.

Here's the breakdown in our betting Tale of the Tape:

Offense

The Kansas City pass attack was predictably conservative behind quarterback Alex Smith, ranking 24th in yards (3,340) but with 24 touchdowns against just eight interceptions - tied with San Francisco for the fewest in the league. The Chiefs' offensive line surrendered 41 sacks totaling 221 yards. The rushing game was far more potent, with superstar Jamaal Charles pacing an attack that ranked 10th in yards (2,056) and racked up 17 touchdowns.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck stagnated in his second NFL season, a development due at least in some part to a season-ending leg injury to All-Pro receiver Reggie Wayne. Luck threw for 550 yards fewer than he had in his sensational rookie campaign, though he did match his 2012 touchdown total (23) while throwing just nine interceptions - nine fewer than the previous year. The Colts rush attack finished 21st in yards per game (108.9) with 15 touchdowns.

Edge: Indianapolis

Defense

The Chiefs rode the league's stoutest defense to a season-opening nine-game winning streak, but the unit had its share of struggles in the second half of the season. Kansas City allowed the seventh-most passing yards in the league (3,962) while surrendering 25 touchdowns, but it did snag 21 interceptions - good for third in the NFL. The Chiefs were 22nd in rushing yards allowed (1,923) but was strong in the end zone, giving up just nine TDs on the ground.

The Colts' pass defense performed well for most of the season, allowing the 11th-fewest yards (3,711) with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Indianapolis has compiled 42 sacks for 248 yards, led by standout defensive end Robert Mathis (league-best 19 1/2 sacks). The Colts have struggled with the run defense, getting torched for just over 2,000 yards on the ground - the seventh-highest tally in the league - on 4 1/2 yards per carry with 14 scores against.

Edge: Kansas City

Special Teams

The Chiefs' return team was the best in football during the regular season, leading the NFL in average kickoff return (29.9) and sixth in punt return average (11.8) with four total return touchdowns. Kansas City allowed 24.4 yards per kickoff return - the 11th-highest tally in the league - but limited opponents to just 6.5 yards per punt return. Kicker Ryan Succop had a rough season, connecting on just 22 of 28 field-goal attempts - including 1-of-4 from 50 yards or more.

The Colts enjoyed a productive season in the return game, ranking 14th in the NFL in both kickoff return average (23.5) and punt return average (9.9). Indianapolis wasn't as effective when it came to special teams defense, allowing the sixth-highest kickoff return average (25.2) while ranking second-last in punt-return yards allowed per attempt (13.7). Kicker Adam Vinatieri had a terrific season, converting 35 of 40 field-goal opportunities on the season.

Edge: Kansas City

Notable Quotable

"I'm ready to go. Games like this ... big-time players make big-time plays, and there are games I mostly show up in ... everything on the line and great preparations all week. It's win or go home." - Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe

"It was a lot of guys who are older and that are in the position of being a leader to speak up. Actually, anybody that wanted to say anything, the floor was open. We got good results from it." - Mathis on the Colts' player-only meeting after a Week 12 loss to Arizona; the Colts went 4-1 the rest of the way

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tale of the Tape: New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles

There should be no shortage of offensive fireworks Saturday night when the New Orleans Saints visit the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild-card playoff showdown.

The Saints roll into the postseason as the sixth seed despite posting an impressive 11-5 record fueled by Drew Brees' passing prowess and a stingy defense. That unit will be put to the test against an Eagles offensive attack that ranked among the league elite.

Here's the breakdown in our betting tale of the tape:

Offense

With Brees still operating like one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, the Saints once again boasted a top-5 passing offense. New Orleans ranked second in the NFL at 307.4 passing yards per game, while racking up 39 touchdowns and throwing just 12 interceptions. The bloated passing numbers once again came at the expense of the rush attack, which finished 25th in the league in yards per game (92.1) on 3.8 yards per carry but did compile 10 touchdowns.

There were questions coming into the season about how Chip Kelly's offensive wizardry would carry over from college to the pros. Nobody is asking those questions anymore: Kelly oversaw an Eagles passing game that exploded under quarterback Nick Foles, racking up the ninth-most yards (4,110) with 32 TDs and just nine interceptions. The running game was even more impressive, leading the NFL in yards (2,566) behind rushing champion LeSean McCoy.

Edge: Philadelphia

Defense

The Saints haven't been known as a defensive juggernaut in recent years, but that changed in a big way this season. Only the Seattle Seahawks permitted more passing yards than New Orleans (3,105), which limited the opposition to 20 passing touchdowns while nabbing 12 interceptions and racking up 49 sacks. The Saints weren't nearly as effective in run defense, allowing 1,786 yards on 4.5 per carry, but gave up just 11 scores on the ground.

The effectiveness of the Philadelphia offense was negated somewhat by a truly porous pass defense. The Eagles surrendered the most passing yards in the NFL (4,636), allowing 25 touchdowns while racking up 19 interceptions and 34 sacks. Philadelphia had an easier time defending opposing running games, giving up the 10th-fewest yards on the ground (1,671 on 3.8 per carry) while limiting teams to 10 touchdowns and forcing a league-high 15 fumbles.

Edge: New Orleans

Special Teams

The Saints have averaged 23 yards per kickoff attempt - ranked 17th in the league - but have managed a paltry 6.1 yards on 32 punt returns, one of the worst rates in the NFL. That puts New Orleans behind in both categories, as it surrenders 25.2 yards per kickoff return and 7.5 yards per punt return. Veteran kicker Shayne Graham, taking over for the struggling Garrett Hartley, hasn't been busy over two weeks of action but has made both of his field-goal chances.

Philadelphia's return game has been one of the lone weak spots of the NFC East champions, averaging just 21.4 yards per kickoff return attempt and 6.6 yards per punt return try. The return defense has been even worse, allowing 23.6 yards per kickoff return, eight yards per punt return and three total touchdowns. Placekicker Alex Henery had an up-and-down regular season, making 23 of 28 attempts - including three from over 45 yards in the final three weeks.

Edge: New England

Notable Quotable

"Our running back situation is outstanding. Obviously we have a starter but when we put Bryce (Brown) and Chris (Polk) in there, they have done a really, really good job. They both can run the ball, they both can catch the ball well and they certainly both can pass protect." - Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shumur

"You can't really look at the (pass defense) rankings and think you're going to have your way with them. Each game is different. They're playing at home. It'll be tough for us." - Saints WR Lance Moore

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BBVA Compass Bowl: What bettors need to know

Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Houston Cougars (+2.5, 52.5)

Game to be played at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

BBVA COMPASS BOWL STORYLINES

1. Houston and Vanderbilt meet at the BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 4 without important pieces of the offense. Commodores senior quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, who started the last three regular-season games, will not play after having surgery on his left knee. Houston offensive coordinator Doug Meacham took the same position at Texas Christian after the regular season, leaving assistant head coach Travis Bush to return to play-calling duties.

2. Vanderbilt extended its streak to nine straight November wins, finishing the regular season with four straight victories - including the last two by a combined six points. The Cougars lost all four of their games by seven points or fewer, including three straight in November before ending the season with a 34-0 victory over Southern Methodist.

3. The Houston defense - ranked first in the country in takeaways (40) and turnover margin (plus-25) - will have its hands full with Jordan Matthews, the SEC's record-breaking receiver. The Cougars also have a 1,000-yard receiver in Deontay Greenberry.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Vanderbilt opened as a 3-point fave but is now -2.5. The total is down to 52.5 from the opening 54.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-40s with sunny skies. Wind will blow toward the N endzone at 8 mph.

TRENDS:

* Cougars are 6-0 ATS in their last six non-conference games.
* Over is 5-2 in Commodores last seven non-conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Cougars last four games overall.
* Commodores are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a ATS loss.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (8-4, 4-4 SEC): Redshirt freshman Patton Robinette (40-of-69, 488 yards, two touchdowns, six rushing scores) made two starts for the Commodores, who are playing in their third straight bowl game for the first time in school history. Matthews broke his own single-season school record with 1,334 yards and owns Vanderbilt and SEC marks for career receptions (257), career yards (3,616), 100-yard games (18) and single-season receptions (107). Carta-Samuels, who injured his knee Oct. 19 and missed two games before returning, had the surgery after the regular season ended so he would be ready to participate in this spring's pro day activities.

ABOUT HOUSTON (8-4, 5-3 American Athletic Conference): Freshman John O'Korn, who started the last 10 games, went 239-of-399 for 2,889 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Adrian McDonald had five of the team's 23 interceptions and Trevon Stewart recovered six of the 17 fumbles. Bush called plays for 11 games in 2012 and was promoted to offensive coordinator - the Cougars' seventh in six years - Dec. 6.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB cheat sheet: Early games

College football's bowl season might be winding down, but there is still a jam-packed slate of college hoops. Here's a look at all the Top 25 betting action Saturday:

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Memphis Tigers

The Bearcats have bounced back nicely from losses to New Mexico and Xavier to win five straight, including a 65-57 triumph over Southern Methodist in their American Athletic Conference opener. They find themselves on the fringe of the Top 25, and beating Memphis would prove they are for real. For that to happen, they'll need a better performance from leading scorer Sean Kilpatrick, who shot 5-for-25 in consecutive victories over Nebraska and SMU. They'll also need a solid defensive effort against a Memphis team averaging 82.8 points and 16.9 assists.

Tigers head coach Josh Pastner was pleased with his team's 8-for-20 performance from beyond the arc in the win over South Florida. "We made 3s," he told reporters after the game. "That was a big thing. When you make 3s, coach looks good. Making 3-point shots are important." Memphis is led by guard Joe Jackson, who averages 15.2 points and has hit double figures in 10 straight games.

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio State Buckeyes

The Cornhuskers outrebounded Iowa and limited the Hawkeyes to a season-low 67 points before dropping a 10-point decision. Texas Tech transfer Terran Petteway recorded his first double-double and has scored at least 20 points six times to lead the team in scoring at 17.5 per contest.

Ohio State continues to roll along, winning 13 of its first 14 games by at least nine points, as it prepares to play Nebraska in its Big Ten home opener Saturday. LaQuinton Ross looks to extend his streak of double-double efforts to four after the third-ranked Buckeyes showed their experience to beat back a challenge at Purdue on Wednesday in a 78-69 victory.

TRENDS:

* Favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Cornhuskers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games.
* Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Under is 5-1-1 in Buckeyes last seven home games.

Iowa State Cyclones at Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Cyclones have reeled off 12 consecutive wins to start the season and are coming off a 99-63 victory over Northern Illinois just hours after learning about the death of former coach Johnny Orr. The Cyclones are ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring and assists and hope to record a win in their Big 12 opener without peeking ahead to the showdown with No. 11 Baylor on Jan. 7.

Texas Tech has lost three out of its last five games and is still looking for consistency under first-year coach Tubby Smith. The Red Raiders haven't won more than two games in a row this season and will have their hands full against an Iowa State team firing on all cylinders.

TRENDS:

* Cyclones are 2-7 ATS in the last nine meetings in Texas Tech.
* Red Raiders are 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Cyclones last four road games.
* Over is 6-1-1 in Red Raiders last eight home games.

Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo lashed into his team at halftime of the 79-63 victory over Penn State, a contest in which the Spartans outscored the Nittany Lions 39-16 in the second half. Guard Gary Harris leads a balanced scoring team with a 17.8 average while floor leader Keith Appling is averaging 15.8 points and a team-leading 4.8 assists.

The Hoosiers are 5-4 after winning their first five games. They received a career-best 30 points from guard Yogi Farrell against Illinois before succumbing 83-80. Ferrell has emerged as a big-time scorer as a sophomore and has five games of 20 or more points after the career-high tally against the Fighting Illini - when he made five 3-pointers for the second time this season.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Spartans are 3-9 ATS in the last 12 meetings in Indiana.
* Spartans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Hoosiers last five vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.

Miami Hurricanes at Syracuse Orange

The Hurricanes have shot 52.3 percent from the field and made 18-of-45 from behind the 3-point line combined the last three games after consecutive disappointing losses to Nebraska and Virginia Tech. Swingman Rion Brown is the go-to player for Miami, averaging 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, and Garrius Adams is the only other player scoring in double figures (10.7).

After an impressive first 13 games, Syracuse begins its maiden voyage in the ACC when Miami (Fla.) visits Saturday. The second-ranked Orange boast wins over California, Villanova, Baylor and Indiana as they join one of the toughest conferences in the country with a well-balanced offense led by senior forward C.J. Fair.

TRENDS:

* Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
* Hurricanes are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Orange are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.
* Under is 6-1 in Hurricanes last seven overall.

Washington Huskies at Arizona Wildcats

Washington, which opened Pac-12 Conference play with a surprisingly lopsided 76-65 victory at Arizona State, tries to complete a sweep of the Arizona schools when it takes on top-ranked Arizona on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies are 1-1 when facing a No. 1 ranked team under 12th-year head coach Lorenzo Romar.

Nick Johnson leads the Wildcats in scoring (15.4) and is an explosive leaper and dunker. Freshman forward Aaron Gordon, considered a future NBA lottery pick, is third in scoring (12.0) but leads the team in rebounding (7.8) and also has 15 blocks. Point guard T.J. McConnell, a transfer from Duquesne, has 86 assists to just 27 turnovers.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Huskies are 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings in Arizona.
* Wildcats are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 home games.
* Under is 8-1 in Wildcats last nine overall.

Connecticut Huskies at Southern Methodist Mustangs

After appearing to break out of a long slump with 12 points against Eastern Washington on Dec. 28, Omar Calhoun was held scoreless for the second time in his career while playing a career-low seven minutes versus Houston. The sophomore guard was benched following the Huskies’ loss to Stanford on Dec. 18 after shooting 25.5 percent from the floor over his previous seven starts. Connecticut has converted 65-of-74 free throws over its last three games and ranks tied for 10th in the country in free-throw percentage (76.4).

The Mustangs have shown a knack for winning the battle inside, finishing with the rebounding edge in all but one contest while outscoring the opposition in the paint 460-246. While SMU’s reliance on getting inside scoring has led to some good looks beyond the arc (41.3 percent, 17th-best in the country), the team ranks 339th in the country in 3-point attempts (155). The Mustangs have held 11 of their foes under 40 percent shooting and rank third overall in the country in field-goal percentage defense (35.7).

TRENDS:

* Huskies are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Mustangs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Under is 7-2 in Huskies last nine overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Mustangs last five Saturday games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB cheat sheet: Late games

College football's bowl season might be winding down, but there is still a jam-packed slate of college hoops. Here's a look at all the Top 25 betting action Saturday:

Richmond Spiders at Florida Gators

The Spiders, who blew an 11-point lead with six minutes left in the loss at Wake Forest, lost a double-digit lead late before beating Northeastern 70-66 on Tuesday. Cedrick Lindsay has paced the offense since returning from a knee sprain, averaging 20 points in his first three games back. The Spiders shot a season-best 55.1 percent against Northeastern and hit 9-of-16 from 3-point range.

The Gators likely will face a stronger challenge from Richmond than Savannah State offered up Sunday, a game in which Florida led 34-11 at halftime en route to a 76-34 rout. Casey Prather leads the SEC in field goal percentage at 62.4, and paces the Gators in scoring at 17.8 points. Florida is third in the conference in 3-point shooting at 37.5 percent.

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-0 in Gators last six Saturday games.
* Spiders are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Spiders last four vs. Southeastern.
* Under is 4-1 in Gators last five home games.

Duke Blue Devils at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Blue Devils ended December with five straight wins - all by double digits - including a 38-point rout of Elon on New Year's Eve. While freshman sensation Jabari Parker (21.4 points) gets most of the attention for Duke, several of his teammates have had notable performances of late. Senior guard Andre Dawkins made five 3-pointers against Elon and is now 11-of-17 from behind the arc over his last two games, and sophomore forward Amile Jefferson notched a career-high 14 rebounds against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 28.

The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, blew an eight-point lead in the final minute of a crushing loss to Ohio State on Dec. 21 before sneaking past Canisius in overtime eight days later. Even worse, Notre Dame's leading scorer, senior guard Jerian Grant, withdrew from school due to academics and redshirting forward Cam Biedscheid announced that he was transferring from the program.

TRENDS:

* Blue Devils are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Fighting Irish are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.
* Blue Devils are 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
* Fighting Irish are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. Atlantic Coast.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas State Wildcats

Oklahoma State has faced a series of difficult developments this week but will try to continue its impressive play when the sixth-ranked Cowboys travel to Kansas State to open Big 12 play Saturday. The Cowboys are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, but they've had a rough week nonetheless. Starting center Michael Cobbins (4.5 points, 4.3 rebounds) was lost for the season to a torn Achilles on Tuesday and backup point guard Stevie Clark (7 points, 3.7 assists) reportedly was arrested for possession of marijuana Wednesday morning and the freshman could be facing his second suspension of the season.

The Wildcats stumbled out of the gate but have won eight straight including a victory over then-No. 15 Gonzaga and a 72-55 rout of a solid George Washington team on Tuesday. "We had given the guys a goal when we left Puerto Rico to go unbeaten in December," Kansas State coach Bruce Weber told the school's website. "It was our opportunity to play ourselves back in the conversation for postseason play, so it was great to get it done."

TRENDS:

* Favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Cowboys are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.
* Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.

Long Beach State 49ers at Missouri Tigers

The Tigers return home after a pair of close contests - a 65-64 loss to Illinois in St. Louis and a 68-64 win at North Carolina State last Saturday - and look to continue their dominance at Mizzou Arena. Tulsa transfer Jordan Clarkson (20 points, 4.3 assists) continues to carry the Tigers and picked up his third SEC Player of the Week honor this season after putting up 20 points at N.C. State.

Long Beach State is wrapping up a brutal non-conference schedule that included losses to Arizona, Kansas State, Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth, Washington, Creighton and N.C. State. The 49ers have one win against a major-conference opponent - a 72-71 home victory over Southern California to start their three-game winning streak.

TRENDS:

* 49ers are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
* Tigers are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight Saturday games.
* 49ers are 0-6 ATS in their last six games following a ATS win.
* Tigers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven non-conference games.

Louisville Cardinals at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Louisville will try to avoid looking ahead when it continues its early American Athletic Association slate at Rutgers on Saturday. The 10th-ranked Cardinals, who throttled Central Florida 90-65 in their AAC opener New Year's Eve, have a home matchup with No. 18 Memphis - one of the few teams given a chance to contend with Louisville in the league - on the horizon.

While they can hang on the offensive end with most teams due to the play of Kadeem Jack and fellow standout Myles Mack, the Scarlet Knights have given up points in bunches at times, much of it when teams exploit them on the perimeter. Rutgers has allowed opponents to hit 116 3-pointers at a 38.2 percent clip, easily the highest numbers in those categories among AAC teams and a troubling trend against a Louisville squad that ranks among the nation's leaders in 3-point tries.

TRENDS:

* Cardinals are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in Rutgers.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Rutgers.
* Cardinals are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a ATS win.
* Scarlet Knights are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Miami (OH) Red Hawks at Massachusetts Minutemen

The Red Hawks received some bad news prior to their most recent game against Southern Illinois when second-leading scorer Reggie Johnson decided to transfer. Johnson, a sophomore, was averaging 11.8 points and 2.1 assists while playing 28.1 minutes per game. The loss leaves coach John Cooper with nine players, including leading-scorer Will Moore (14 per game) and Will Felder, who averages 13.2 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds.

The fickle Western Massachusetts fans appear to be firmly behind No.22 Massachusetts, but the task now will be to keep them there, beginning with Saturday's game. Coming off their first sellout crowd at home in seven years, the Minutemen seem to have momentum on their side heading into one of their final non-conference games and the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule that follows.

TRENDS:

* Minutemen are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.
* Red Hawks are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games following a S.U. win.
* Under is 7-1 in Red Hawks last eight road games.
* Over is 5-2 in Red Hawks last seven vs. Atlantic 10.

Pacific Tigers at Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Tigers boast six players averaging at least 7.8 points and nine at 11 minutes or more. Senior guard Sama Taku leads the way with 12.4 points per game and is second to senior forward Tony Gill (10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds) on the boards at 4.5. The Tigers, ranked 10th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 but selected to finish seventh in the WCC preseason poll, lost to Saint Mary's 88-80 at home Dec. 30 in its first WCC game.

Gonzaga again proved it was capable of hanging with the boys by going 3-1 against major-conference teams during its non-conference season and its No. 21 ranking in the USA Today Coaches' Poll validates that belief. The Bulldogs have plenty of offensive weapons (23rd in the nation at 82.7 points per game) and are led by Pangos (17.5 points), but it was the defense that pleased coach Mark Few Thursday. “We took a really good basketball team and guarded them great,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few told reporters. “It was probably our best all-around effort of the whole year.”

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. West Coast.
* Bulldogs are 0-6 ATS in their last six Saturday games.
* Bulldogs are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine vs. West Coast.
* Under is 13-5 in Tigers last 18 Saturday games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Indiana won five of its last six games (7-2 last nine HF). Pelicans won four of last six games (2-4 last six AU).
-- Heat won eight of last ten games (0-4 last four AF).
-- Hawks won six of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota won three of its last four games (3-1 last four HF).
-- Clippers won three of last four games (5-1 AU). Spurs won three of their last four games (2-10 last 12 HF).
-- Suns won five of last seven games (10-5-1 vs spread at home).
-- 76ers won last three games, all as underdogs of 7+ points. Portland won seven of its last ten games (2-4 last six HF).

Cold Teams
-- Magic lost five of its last seven games (1-5 last six HU).
-- Cavaliers lost six of their last seven games (4-2 last six AU). Nets lost six of last eight games (4-6 HF).
-- Bulls lost four of last six at home (6-9 vs spread at home).
-- Thunder lost last two games by total of six points (2-3 AU).
-- Bucks lost four of their last five games (3-6 last nine AU).
-- Bobcats lost their last five games (11-3-2 vs spread on road, 0-2 in last two games). Kings lost six of last nine games (0-9 as HF).

Series records
-- Pacers won last four games with New Orleans, winning last three here either by one point or in OT.
-- Heat won last three visits to Orlando by 2-14-28 points.
-- Nets won eight of last ten games with Cleveland.
-- Bulls won nine of last twelve games with Atlanta.
-- Thunder won 15 of last 17 games with Minnesota.
-- Clippers lost 16 of last 20 games with San Antonio.
-- Bucks swept Phoenix 2-0 LY, after going 1-8 in previous nine against the Suns.
-- Trailblazers won four of last five games with Philly.
-- Kings won three of last four games with Charlotte.

Totals
-- 12 of 16 Indiana home games stayed under.
-- Eight of last ten Miami games went over the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Cleveland road games went over.
-- Under is 12-3 in Chicago home games. Six of last seven Atlanta road games went over.
-- Last four Thunder games stayed under the total; four of Minnesota's last five games went over.
-- Over is 11-2-1 in last four San Antonio home games.
-- Seven of last nine Milwaukee road games went over.
-- Last nine Portland home games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Sacramento home games went over.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Boston won nine of its last ten home games. Jets won three of their last four games.
-- Sharks won five of their last six games. Colorado won its last two games, after losing six of its previous eight.
-- Devils are 8-6 in their last fourteen road games.
-- Toronto won its last three games, allowing seven goals. Rangers won four of last six tilts.
-- Senators won four of their last five games. Montreal won seven of last nine at home.
-- Islanders won their last three games, scoring 13 goals. Carolina won last two games in OT, after losing seven of previous eight.
-- St Louis won six of its last seven games. Blue Jackets won three of last four road games.
-- Dallas Stars won five of their last eight games.
-- Flyers won six of their last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost three of their last four games.
-- Predators lost six of their last eight games. Florida lost four of last five.
-- Red Wings lost three of their last four games.
-- Minnesota lost six of its last seven games. Washington lost five of its last six.
-- Coyotes lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Los Angeles lost its last five games, scoring a total of six goals. Canucks lost their last two games, 4-2/4-3so.

Totals
-- Over is 6-1-3 in last ten Boston games.
-- Four of last five San Jose games went over total.
-- Three of last four New Jersey games stayed under.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Ranger-Toronto games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Ottawa games.
-- Over is 4-1-2 in last seven Nashville games.
-- Last five Carolina games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Columbus games went over total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Detroit games.
-- Four of last five Washington games stayed under.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Philadelphia games.
-- Under is 11-4-3 in last eighteen LA-Vancouver games.

Series records
-- Jets lost their last eleven visits to Boston.
-- Sharks won eight of last ten games with Colorado.
-- Devils are 6-4 in their last ten visits to Buffalo.
-- Rangers won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Senators won their last four games with Montreal.
-- Panthers lost five of last six games with Nashville.
-- Islanders lost their last five games with Carolina.
-- Blues won four of last five games with Columbus.
-- Red Wings won six of their last eight games with Dallas.
-- Minnesota lost three of its last four games with Washington.
-- Coyotes are 5-3 in their last eight games with Philly.
-- Kings are 2-0 vs Vancouver this season, 5-1/3-2ot.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RICH ALLEN BETTING PROFESSOR NCAFF FOOTBALL

Vanderbilt -2.5 C BET

[Can'tPickAWinner]

2Halves2Win:

SAT, 01/04


(GAME: 1*): Colts PK (-110: Risking 1.10 units to win 1.00 units) - TBD (TBDu)


(GAME: 1*): Eagles -2.5 (-115: Risking 1.15 units to win 1.00 units) - TBD (TBDu)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Syndicate

CFB
Houston
North Dakota State

NFL
Over Colts
Under Eagles

[Can'tPickAWinner]

LA Syndicate

CFB
Over Houston

NFL
Saints

[Can'tPickAWinner]

H&H Sports

CFB
Triple Dime Houston

NFL
Double Dime Chiefs
Dime Saints

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Nostradamus

CFB
Over Houston

CBB
UConn
Syracuse
Boston College
Duke
Over Texas
Boise State

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gamblers Data

Free Plays Saturday

Georgetown -6

Trailblazers -13

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Wild Card Round

Chiefs (11-5) @ Colts (11-5)—Chiefs won 23-13 (-4.5) at Buffalo in Week 9 in only game this season on artificial turf, when they were outgained 470-210 but scored two defensive TDs to turn tide in game they had no right winning; after starting season 9-0, Chiefs went 2-5 down stretch, losing to Broncos/Chargers twice each. Colts coasted to title in weak division; they beat Denver/Seattle at home, won at Candlestick but also lost 38-8 at home to Rams- go figure. Indy was +10 in turnovers in its last five games; they got bounced from playoffs in this round LY, while Reid/Chiefs combined to go 6-26- now Reid is Coach of Year in KC. Chiefs rested 20 starters last week and still almost KO’d Chargers from playoffs, week after Indy waxed Chiefs 23-7, holding KC to 132 passing yards with +4 turnover ratio (Chiefs were +22 in other 15 games). AFC #4 seed covered five of last seven when favored in this game. Five of last six Chief games, five of last seven Indy home games went over total. Curious to see if sitting 20 starters last week gives Chief players fresher legs.

Saints (11-5) @ Eagles (10-6)—New Orleans has never won a road playoff game (0-5) in franchise history; this year on road, Saints are 3-5 SU, 1-7 ATS, losing four of last five, with losses to also-ran Rams/Jets. NO scored 17 or less points in last four away games, while they averaged 34 ppg in Superdome; they do have edge at QB, with Super Bowl-winner Brees vs first-year starter Foles, who played college ball in desert (Arizona), but has had great year under rookie NFL coach Kelly. Eagles had long home losing streak until they beat Redskins in Week 11; now they’ve won four home games in row, scoring 64 points in second half of last two games at Linc. Philly led NFL in rushing yards which is big in night game in frigid condition; Saints are #19 in rush defense. Iggles were -2 in turnovers during 3-5 start to season; they were +13 during 7-1 run to division title. Saints have to play significantly better here than they have on road all year in order to advance. NFC #4 seed beat #5 seed in this game four of last five years. Six of last seven Saint games stayed under total; the of last four Philly games went over.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's NHL Picks

San Jose at Colorado

The Sharks come into their matchup with Colorado today carrying a 19-7 record in the last 26 meetings between the two teams. San Jose is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Sharks favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-120). Here are all of today's picks.


SATURDAY, JANUARY 4
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST


Game 1-2: Winnipeg at Boston (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 10.264; Boston 12.626
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 2 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-200); Over


Game 3-4: San Jose at Colorado (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 12.143; Colorado 10.583
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-120); Under


Game 5-6: Carolina at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 10.327; NY Islanders 12.213
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Islanders (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (-130); Over


Game 7-8: Nashville at Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 10.832; Florida 9.985
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+100); Under


Game 9-10: New Jersey at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.810; Buffalo 9.879
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 2; 3 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-115); Under


Game 11-12: NY Rangers at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.203; Toronto 10.353
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+115); Over


Game 13-14: Ottawa at Montreal (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 10.772; Montreal 12.104
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-165); Over


Game 15-16: Philadelphia at Phoenix (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 12.123; Phoenix 10.504
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+110); Under


Game 17-18: Columbus at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 10.944; St. Louis 12.826
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-220); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-220); Over


Game 19-20: Washington at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.380; Minnesota 10.021
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Under


Game 21-22: Detroit at Dallas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 9.962; Dallas 12.542
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-140); Over


Game 23-24: Vancouver at Los Angeles (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 12.247; Los Angeles 10.768
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+120); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

J Clifton
CAL POLY
NC STATE

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Diamond Dog Sports

Chiefs/Colts Under 46
Saints/Eagles Over 53.5

Houston +3

Clippers +5.5
Bobcats +5.5

St Johns +6
Wright State +2.5
Yale +15.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Free winner Sat Missouri -14 CBB

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAF

Bowl Season

Compass Bowl Birmingham, AL 1/4
Vanderbilt is playing in its 7th bowl game, but third year in row, wonder if they can keep coach Franklin; Commodores split pair of bowl last two years vs Cincinnati/NC State. Vandy is 3-1 in games decided by 4 or less points, 2-2 in games with single digit spread- they're 2-2 as favorite this year. Houston is 9-2 vs spread this year, 4-0 as an underdog; they scored 17 or less points during 3-game kid in November, also lost 47-46 at home to BYU; Cougars 7-1 in games with a single digit spread, are 2-3 in last five bowls. Levine won his only bowl game, as interim coach two years ago. Houston has a true frosh QB who is better than either of Vandy's QBs. SEC teams are 1-2 in this game; AAC teams are 5-0, even though they weren't AAC team at the time, since this is league's first year. AAC teams are 2-1 in bowls this year; SEC teams are 4-3- they were favored in five of the seven games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAB

Saturday, January 4

January 4th is first true road game for Pitt, which is 3-1 in neutral court games, losing brutal 44-43 game to #32 Cincinnati. This is also the first ACC game for Panthers, who are #15 in defensive efficiency against the #306 schedule. NC State won eight of last nine games, losing last home game to #41 Missouri; they're 1-2 vs top 100 teams, also losing 68-57 at Cincinnati back in November.

Cincinnati-Memphis are league rivals again for first time since '09; last four meetings were won by Memphis, all by 10+ points. Tigers are 2-2 vs top 40 teams, splitting pair with Oklahoma State, losing at Florida, beating LSU- they force turnovers 23.8% of time. Bearcats are 4-2 vs top 100 teams, but lost by 9 at New Mexico in only true road game.

Georgetown won its last five games with St John's, all by 10+ points; Red Storm lost their last eight visits here, last three by 15-10-12 points. Red Storm is 9-4 with no good wins; best team they've beaten is #100 Ga Tech- this is also their first true road game. Hoyas are 2-2 vs top 100 teams, beating K-State/VCU- they're shooting 56.4% inside arc (#7).

UConn got upset 75-71 in AAC opener at Houston, giving up last seven points of game they led with 1:42 left; Huskies trailed by 21 late in first half, led by second TV timeout in second, but they made just 7-22 from arc in just their second true road game (1-1, won at Washington). SMU leads countrey, holding teams to 38.4% inside arc, but they're 0-3 vs teams in top 50, losing by 11-3-8 points.

Indiana won its last three games with Michigan State by 15-5-4 points, after losing previous six; Spartans lost last two visits here, won both true road games this year, by 14-16 at Texas/Penn State. Spartans are #9 in defensive efficiency- their only loss was to North Carolina. Indiana is 0-4 vs top 100 teams- best team they've beaten is #111 Stony Brook.

Xavier won its last six games, last four of which were all against top 100 tewams; Musketeers are 5-3 overall vs top 100 teams, with all three of its losses on trip to Atlantis Thanksgiving weekend. Butler lost its Big East opener by 3 at home to Villanova, they took 28 3's, 30 2's in that game, as Villanova shot 58% inside arc. Butler needs to get little bit more athletic to be a force in this tougher league.

Florida has its SEC opener Wednesday; they've won four in row, nine of last ten games, forcing turnovers 22.5% of time.. Gators are 3-2 vs teams in top 100, with none of wins by more than six points. Richmond is 3-1 in true road games, all vs weaker teams- they lost at Wake Forest in Ot; Spiders aren't shooting it well (29.8% on arc) but are forcing turnovers 22.9% of time, a higher rate than Florida.

Home teams won three of four Oregon State-Utah games since Utes got into Pac-12; teams split pair here, with Utes winning by 11 LY, losing by 18 year before. Beavers lost last three road games by 12-6-6 points; they were -10 in turnovers in Thursday's loss at Colorado, making 8-15 3's. Utah lost tough OT game to Oregon (led by 10 with 13:45 left).

San Francisco won five of last six games with Pepperdine, winning last four played here by 30-1-15-6 points, but Waves are off to 3-0 start in WCC this year, scorign 75 ppg with win at Santa Clara. Pepperdine has made 40% (#22) of its 3's, is 4-1 in true road games, with only loss at Washington State. USF is 6-3 at home, allowing 90+ in all three losses.

Notre Dame's first ACC game is at home vs Duke; Irish are 2-4 vs top 100 teams, beating Indiana on neutral floor, but losing to North Dakota State at home- they needed OT to beat Cansiuis last game, with leading Grant (grades) done for year. Duke's first true road games comes today; they're 3-2 on neutral courts, 2-2 vs top 100 teams, not a great team on interior defense- Vermont was 31-41 inside arc against them.

Kansas State won four of last five games with Oklahoma State, which is having bad week; big guy Cobbins tore his Achilles, backup point guard got busted for weed. Wildcats won last eight games after 2-3 start, with win over Gonzaga- they're holding teams to 26.3% on arc. Oklahoma St is 12-1, winning by 26 at South Forida in its only true away game, and that was before Thanksgiving.

Dayton is 11-3 but this is its first road game since loss at inexperienced Illinois State four weeks ago; Flyers have road win at Ga Tech, are 2-2 vs top 100 teams, beating Gonzaga/Cal (Solomon was hurt). Ole Miss is 9-3 but lost last three games vs top 100 teams; this is Henderson's last game for 11 days; he is suspended for Rebels' first two SEC contests.

Texas is 11-2 despite being 6th-least experienced team in country; they won seven of last eight games with Oklahoma, winning last eight in this gym, winning last two years by 8-6 points. Oklahoma won in Brooklyn vs Seton Hall, not a true road game but close- they haven't played a true road game and lost last game at home in OT to good Louisana Tech club.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

From Platinum Plays (https://www.freeplays.com/handicapper.asp?serviceID=8030). 500K Wildcard Parlay
the Indianapolis Colts -1 over
the Kansas City Chiefs
the Philadelphia Eagles -2½ over
the New Orleans Saints
Best Bets

the Kansas City/Indianapolis Game UNDER
the Total Of 46½ Points
the Houston/Vanderbilt Game OVER
the Total Of 53 Points
the North Dakots St -13½ over
the Towson Tigers

500K CBB Underdog/Month
the Notre Dame Fighting Irish +5½ over
the Duke Blue Devils

Best Bets
the Florida St Seminoles -4½ over
the Virginia Cavliers
the St Louis Billikins -16 over
the Yale Bulldogs
the Xavier Muskateers -5½ over
the Butler Bulldogs
the Portland Trailblazers -13 over
the Philadelphia 76ers
PREMIER PICKS


the New Orleans/Philadelphia Game UNDER
the Total Of 54 Points
the San Antonio Spurs -5½ over
the LA Clippers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Totals 4 You "Total Domination" for Saturday, January 4th

2014 AFC Wildcard Playoffs Total of the Year!!!!!
Kansas City/Indianapolis under 46 1/2

Football Best Bets
Houston/Vanderbilt under 53 1/2
New Orleans/Philadelphia over 53 1/2

January's NBA East vs West Super Total of the Month!!!!!
Charlotte/Sacramento under 200 1/2

NBA Best Bets
New Orleans/Indiana under 195 1/2
Oklahoma City/Minnesota over 208
Philadelphia/Portland over 223 1/2
LA Clippers/San Antonio under 206
Best of Luck and Thank You!!!!!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Intpicks
2* Houston - Vanderbilt Under 53.5
2* New Orleans - Philadelphia Over 53.5
1* Colts
1* Michigan St -2
1* Duke -5
1* LA Clippers +5.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

R.a.w. Football - saturday


4* best bet = philadelphia eagles
3* = kansas city chiefs

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Docs
2 Unit Play. #101 Take Kanas City Chiefs +2.5 over Indianapolis Colts (Saturday 4:35 pm NBC) The Colts went into Missouri a couple of weeks ago and emerged victorious and expect the Chiefs to return the favor on Saturday. Kansas City proved they have great depth almost beating the Chargers while resting most of their key personal. Indianapolis played all out last week for seeding purposes and they got a few players banged up on defense. Kansas City is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games. Indianapolis is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games played in January.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Football Crusher
Philadelphia Eagles -135 over New Orleans Saints
Vanderbilt -145 over Houston (pending)
(System Record: 53-4, won last 2 games)
Overall Record: 53-47-1

Hockey Crusher
Montreal Canadiens -150 over Ottawa Sens
(System Record: 51-0, won last game)
Overall Record: 51-30-1

Basketball Crusher
Saint Johns +6 over Georgetown
(System Record: 30-3, lost last 5 games)
Overall Record: 30-37-1

Soccer Crusher
Bristol City + Watford UNDER 3
This match is happening in England
(System Record: 502-18, won last 2 games)
Overall Record: 502-434-74

Here are the rest of his hockey and basketball plays for today...


Hockey
Buffalo Sabres +105 over New Jersey
Phoenix Coyotes -130 over Philadelphia
Minnesota Wild -131 over Washington


Basketball
Georgia Tech +8 over Maryland
Indiana +2.5 over Mich St
Butler +5.5 over Xavier

[Can'tPickAWinner]

From the PLATINUM SHEET
STATFOX FORECASTER

AFC WILD CARD:
KANSAS CITY (101) AT INDIANAPOLIS (102)
Latest Line: Indianapolis -1.5; Total: 46.0

The red-hot Colts look for a fourth straight victory (SU and ATS) Saturday when they meet the slumping Chiefs for the second time in three weeks. Since starting the year 9-0 with 12.3 PPG and 327 YPG allowed, Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its past seven games with 27.7 PPG and 420 YPG allowed. Indy's defense has held opponents to 6.7 PPG and 292 YPG during its three-game win streak, which included a 23-7 romp at K.C. in Week 16, thanks to 110 total yards and 2 TD from RB Donald Brown. That improved the Colts to 12-2 SU (11-3 ATS) in this series since 1990, which includes a 3-0 playoff mark (SU and ATS).
FORECASTER: Indianapolis 24, Kansas City 23

[Can'tPickAWinner]

From the PLATINUM SHEET
STATFOX FORECASTER

NFC WILD CARD:
NEW ORLEANS (103) AT PHILADELPHIA (104)
Latest Line: Philadelphia -2.5; Total: 54.0

The Saints try to end a three-game road losing skid when they visit the surging Eagles on Saturday night. New Orleans is 1-7 ATS with a mere 17.7 PPG on the road this season, while Philadelphia has compiled 34.0 PPG during four straight home wins (3-1 ATS). But the only time these teams met in Philly in the past 10 years was a 48-22 romp by the Saints in 2009, who got 311 passing yards and 3 TD from Drew Brees. The Eagles have a red-hot quarterback (who also went to the same high school as Brees) in Nick Foles, who finished the season with the NFL's best passer rating (119.2), throwing 27 TD and just 2 INT.
FORECASTER: Philadelphia 24, New Orleans 23

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wunderdog Sports Free Pick

Game: Kansas City at Indianapolis (Saturday 1/04 4:35 PM Eastern)
Pick: Kansas City +1 (-110) at 5Dimes

I think the wrong team is favored here. The way the line has moved, it seems some agree. Indianapolis has not looked like the same team that ran the table on arguably the best teams in the NFL early in the season. Early on, the Colts beat Seattle, San Franciscoand Denver over the course of a five week span. But, let's not forget that they also lost to Miami, San Diego, St. Louis, Arizona and Cincinnati. And, those big wins were with Reggie Wayne in the lineup. While the Colts have won their last three games, this team is not built for the playoffs. They don't run the ball well and without Reggie Wayne, this offense isn't the same. 26.7 After Wayne went down, this offense lost 4 points per game. Last year Indy went 11-5 despite being outgained by opponents on the season. That caught up with them as soon as the playoffs started as they lost their opening playoff game 24-7. Kansas City won just two games a year ago. This season they put their first nine in the win column, but finished just 2-5 and looks now to be a fading team. But, this team is the better team on the field today. Their offense is better and their defense is better and they have the better coach. And, they are healthy and rested with many starters taking last Sunday off. The big difference here is Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs' running attack. Teams that can run the ball well are generally good bets in the playoffs, and Kansas City generates 4.66 yards per carry. Remember, Charles went for 106 yards and a TD on just 16 carries in the loss to Indianapolis earlier this season. And because the Chiefs were behind, he did not get utilized as much as he will in this one. But the Chiefs lost to Indianapolis just a few weeks ago you say? KC didn't have Justin Houston for that game. He is an elite pass rusher and hasn't played since week 12, so the Chiefs will instantly become better defensively. Revenging playoff teams are good bets. But this game is on the road you say? The Chiefs are 7-1 ATS on the road this season and Andy Reid teams are 78-49 ATS on the road including 42-23 ATS as a road underdog. Oh yeah - Reid-led teams are also 27-10 ATS on the road revenging a loss. Take Kansas City.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Al DeMarco

15 syracuse cbb

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Joe Gavazzi

5* Iowa St -6
5* Utah -7
5* Oklahoma +6
5* St Mary's -3
4* Ohio St -17
4* Uconn +2
4* Pepperdine +4
4* Duke -4
4* Indiana St -3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ASA

5* Over 46 KC

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ATS lock club

4* Philadelphia Eagles

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bookie Report

N Dakota -14
Houston +2

Colts +1 Monster
Philly Over 53.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Prediction Machine

Against the Spread Picks
265 VANDY vs HOU -3 4.9 53.1% $8

Straight-Up Picks
265 VANDY vs HOU 26.0 21.1 58.2%

Over/Under Picks
266 VANDY vs. HOU 55 47.1 Under 61.7% $98

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chiefs and Colts open NFL postseason on Saturday
by Brian Graham

AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Kickoff: Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET
Line: Indianapolis -2.5, Total: 46.5

The NFL playoffs get underway Saturday afternoon when the red-hot Colts look for a fourth straight victory (SU and ATS) when they meet the slumping Chiefs for the second time in three weeks.

Since starting the year 9-0 with 12.3 PPG and 327 YPG allowed, Kansas City is 2-5 SU in its past seven games with 27.7 PPG and 420 YPG allowed. On the flip side, Indy’s defense has held opponents to 6.7 PPG and 292 YPG during its three-game win streak, which included a 23-7 romp at K.C. in Week 16, thanks to 110 total yards and two touchdowns from RB Donald Brown. That improved the Colts to 12-2 SU (11-3 ATS) in this series since 1990, which includes a 3-0 playoff mark (SU and ATS). That is part of the Chiefs' dismal 1-9 ATS mark in playoff games since 1992, but they have been an outstanding road team all season at 7-1 ATS (6-2 SU) where they have outscored host teams by nearly two touchdowns (30.6 PPG to 17.9 PPG). Indianapolis is a solid 6-2 SU (5-3 ATS) at Lucas Oil Stadium, despite being outgained 366 YPG to 344 YPG by these eight visitors. But in the past two seasons, the Colts are 9-0 ATS at home when the total is at least 45.5 points. Neither team is dealing with major injuries heading into the postseason with Kansas City OLB Tamba Hali (knee) and WR Dwayne Bowe (concussion) both upgraded to probable. Indianapolis has some concerns on both of its lines, but DE Cory Redding (shoulder), DT Ricky Jean-Francois (foot) and guards Mike McGlynn (elbow) and Joe Reitz (head) all could play on Saturday.

The Chiefs generated 26.9 PPG this season (T-6th in NFL), but the only game in which they did not score at least 17 points was the 23-7 loss to the Colts two weeks ago. In that contest, they rushed the ball very well (155 yards on 7.8 YPC), but QB Alex Smith threw for just 153 yards on 28 attempts (5.5 YPA) with 0 TD, 1 INT and absorbed five sacks. For the season, the K.C. ground game rushed for a strong 129 YPG (10th in NFL) on 4.7 YPC (5th in league), but the air attack managed just 209 passing YPG (T-24th in NFL) on 6.5 yards per pass attempt (27th in league). Smith finished the season with solid numbers of 3,313 passing yards (6.5 YPA), 23 TD, 7 INT, and he has been outstanding in both his career playoff starts. In these two contests (both in 2011 with the 49ers) Smith threw for 495 yards (7.3 YPA), 5 TD and 0 INT. But he has never fared too well indoors, going 6-6 with a 59.8% completion rate, 6.2 YPA, 8 TD and 12 INT in ideal conditions. Smith's best offense has been to get the ball in the hands of RB Jamaal Charles, who racked up 1,980 total yards of offense (132 YPG) this season with 19 touchdowns. In the loss to the Colts in Week 16, he ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries (8.2 YPC) and caught five passes for 38 more yards. His numbers in four career indoor games are excellent too, where he has rushed 53 times for 424 yards (8.0 YPC) and two touchdowns. In his last indoor game at New Orleans in 2012, Charles finished with 233 rushing yards (7.1 YPC) and 55 receiving yards. In addition to Charles, the Chiefs have three capable wide receivers with more than 500 yards this season in Dwayne Bowe (673 rec. yards, 5 TD), Donnie Avery (596 rec. yards, 2 TD) and Dexter McCluster (511 rec. yards, 2 TD). Kansas City's defense started out the year so well thanks to 35 sacks in the first seven games of the season. But injuries to both top pass-rushing OLBs Justin Houston and Tamba Hali were a big reason the club managed just 12 sacks over the final nine contests of 2013. The Chiefs gave up a ton of yards (368 total YPG, 24th in NFL), both through the air (248 YPG, T-25th in league) and on the ground (120 YPG, 22nd in NFL), but still finished the season tied for fifth in the NFL in scoring defense (19.1 PPG). This was due to a stellar third-down defense (34%, 5th in league) and a strong red-zone defense (51% TD rate, 10th in NFL). Kansas City's defense also did a great job in making big plays, forcing 36 turnovers this year, including 24 in its eight road games. However, it will be tough take the football away from the great ball-protecting Colts.

Indianapolis committed just 14 turnovers all season, with only three giveaways in the past seven games combined. But despite this lack of mistakes, the team has been average on offense with 342 total YPG (15th in NFL), 24.4 PPG (T-14th in league), 38% third-down conversions (15th in NFL) and a 56% TD rate in the red zone (14th in league). QB Andrew Luck cut his interception total in half from his rookie year when he threw 18 picks, finishing the season with a 60.2% completion rate for 3,822 yards (6.7 YPA), 23 TD and 9 INT. Although he struggled in his postseason debut last year in Baltimore (28-of-54, 288 yards, 5.3 YPA, 0 TD, 1 INT), Luck was on target against the Chiefs in Week 16, completing 26-of-37 passes (70.3%) for 241 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. Although he misses injured WR Reggie Wayne, Luck has relied mostly on fellow second-year pros WR T.Y. Hilton (1,083 rec. yards, 5 TD) and TE Coby Fleener (608 rec. yards, 4 TD) when he drops back. However, it was rookie WR Griff Whalen who did the most damage against K.C. two weeks ago with seven catches for 80 yards. The offense isn't all based on Luck though, as the Colts have rushed the football effectively this year too with 109 YPG on 4.3 YPC (13th in NFL), including 122 rushing YPG in the past three games. RB Donald Brown (537 rush yards, 6 TD) ran for 79 yards on just 10 carries against the Chiefs, which included a 51-yard TD scamper. His 5.3 YPC average ranks third in the NFL this season, and he has been a welcomed change of pace from disappointing RB Trent Richardson. The No. 3 overall draft pick in 2012 rushed for only 458 yards on 2.9 YPC with 3 TD in his 14 games with Indianapolis this year, and gained just 43 yards on 16 carries (2.7 YPC) versus the Chiefs two weeks ago. The Colts defense has been erratic all season, allowing 33+ points four times, but holding five opponents (including each of the past three) to 10 points or less. The +7 turnover rate over the past three contests has been a key to the win streak, but a poor run defense has to be concerned with Jamaal Charles. For the season, Indy ranks 26th in the NFL in rushing defense (125 YPG) and 25th with 4.5 YPC allowed. The squad is also subpar in the red zone, allowing a hefty 59% TD rate (20th in NFL).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Eagles seek 5th straight home win Saturday vs. N.O.
by Brian Graham

NFC Wild Card Playoffs
Kickoff: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Philadelphia -2.5, Total: 53.5

The Saints try to end a three-game road losing skid when they visit the surging Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs on Saturday night.

New Orleans is 1-7 ATS with a mere 17.7 PPG on the road this season, while Philadelphia has compiled 34.0 PPG during four straight home wins (3-1 ATS). But the only time these teams met in Philadelphia in the past 10 years was a 48-22 romp by the Saints in 2009, which got 311 passing yards and 3 TD from Drew Brees. The Eagles have a red-hot quarterback (who also went to the same high school as Brees) in Nick Foles, who finished the season with the NFL’s best passer rating (119.2), throwing 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. While this game marks Foles' playoff debut, Brees is 5-4 in his playoff career, but is 0-3 in true road games despite strong numbers in the three defeats (1,220 pass yards, 7.1 YPA, 8 TD, 3 INT). He has helped New Orleans go 15-5 ATS (75%) versus poor defenses (350+ YPG) since 2011, but Philadelphia is 23-8 ATS (74%) versus excellent offenses (6+ yards per play) in the second half of the season since 1992. Both teams are relatively injury-free on the offensive side of the ball, but key players are missing from both secondaries with Saints S Kenny Vaccaro (ankle) on IR and Eagles safeties Earl Wolff and Colt Anderson both questionable with knee injuries.

The Saints finished the regular season fourth in the NFL in total offense (399 YPG) and second in passing offense (307 YPG), while ranking 10th in scoring at 25.9 PPG. But on the road, those numbers dipped to 356 total YPG, 275 passing YPG, with the team failing to surpass 17 points in each of the past four away contests (13.3 PPG). New Orleans hasn't been able to run the ball effectively anywhere this season with 92 rushing YPG (25th in NFL) on 3.8 YPC (26th in league) overall, and 81 rushing YPG on 3.6 YPC on the road. QB Drew Brees eclipsed the 5,000-yard passing mark for the third straight season, finishing with 5,162 yards (7.9 YPA), 39 TD and only 12 INT. With the game-time temperature expected to be in the low-30's, that doesn't bode well for Brees, who is just 4-9 in his career in 40 degrees or lower, but his numbers in these cold-weather contests have still been strong (289 passing YPG, 7.3 YPA, 23 TD, 10 INT). This season he has relied mostly on four receivers that each has more than 70 receptions this season in TE Jimmy Graham (1,215 rec. yards, 16 TD), WR Marques Colston (943 rec. yards, 5 TD), RB Darren Sproles (604 rec. yards, 2 TD) and RB Pierre Thomas (513 rec. yards, 3 TD). Thomas leads the team in rushing with 549 yards, but averages only 3.7 YPC. RB Mark Ingram has been the most effective rusher at 5.0 YPC on his 78 carries, and he had a huge effort in the team's last road game in Week 16, rushing for 83 yards on 13 carries (6.4 YPC) against a stout Panthers run defense. The Saints defense has improved leaps and bounds from last season when they allowed 28.4 PPG and a league-worst 440 total YPG. This season under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, those numbers have been trimmed to 19.0 PPG and 306 total YPG, which both rank fourth in league. The unit has been on the field for a league-low 27:19, thanks to the fewest first downs allowed in the NFL (17.1 per game) and a strong third-down defense (35%, 9th in league) helped out by 49 sacks (4th in NFL). But after compiling an impressive 15 takeaways in the first seven games of the season, the defense has generated only four turnovers in the final nine contests combined. New Orleans has excelled in defending the pass (194 YPG, 2nd in league), but gives up 4.6 yards per carry (28th in league), which poses a major problem going up against the best rushing offense in the NFL.

Philadelphia averages 160 rushing YPG on 5.1 YPC, both tops in the league. RB LeSean McCoy has taken 62% of the carries, rushing 314 times for an NFL-high 1,607 yards (5.1 YPC) and nine touchdowns. The cold weather shouldn't affect his performance either, considering in the team's lone game this year with the temperature below 40 in Week 14, McCoy rushed for 217 yards on 29 carries (7.5 YPC) and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a snowstorm. He has also helped out the passing game greatly with 52 catches for 539 yards and two more scores. The Eagles lead the NFL in passing yards per attempt (8.7 YPA) and place ninth in passing yards (257 YPG). QB Nick Foles, who attended the same Westlake High School in Austin, TX as Brees, was 8-2 as a starter this season, finishing the year with 2,891 passing yards (9.1 YPA) on a 64.0% completion rate. During the four-game home win streak, he completed 65.4% of his throws for 944 yards (8.8 YPA), 6 TD and 1 INT. Foles has done a nice job spreading the passes around, as six different Eagles have gained at least 440 receiving yards this season, led by WRs DeSean Jackson (1,332 rec. yards, 9 TD) and Riley Cooper (835 rec. yards, 8 TD). TEs Brent Celek and Zach Ertz have combined for 971 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. While the offense has generated 417 total YPG (2nd in NFL) and 27.6 PPG (4th in league), the defense has been deficient in a number of areas. The unit allows the most passing yards in the NFL at 290 YPG, ranks fourth-worst in total yardage allowed (394 YPG), and its poor third-down defense (40%, 24th in league) has led to being on the field for 33:35, which is the longest of any NFL team. On the bright side, Philadelphia has stuffed the run effectively all season with 3.8 YPC allowed (4th in league) and has done an outstanding job of creating turnovers this season. The Eagles have 31 takeaways this season, forcing at least two turnovers in 11 of their 16 games this year.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Spartan NFL Total Sat, 01/04/14 - 4:35 PM

dime bet - 102 IND/101 KAN - OVER 46.0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL weather report

An early look at Wild Card Weekend weather

Weather could play a role in three of the four NFL Wild Card Weekend games, with cold, rain and snow in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

Here’s a look at the early forecast for Philadelphia.

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5, 54.5)

The early forecast for Philadelphia calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 20s with winds blowing SSW at 6mph from corner to corner. The Eagles have won four straight at home since the weather turned cold while the Saints have struggled in outdoor venues and average only 17.8 points per road game compared to an average of 34 points at home.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting NFL dogs? Amazing trend will have you thinking moneylines

If you’re thinking about taking the points this NFL Wild Card Weekend, you may want to forget the pointspread all together and go all in on the NFL underdog moneylines.

According to Marc Lawrence, the outright winner in NFL opening-round playoff games is 104-11-3 ATS since 1980 – an astonishing 89 percent cover rate. Simply put: Whoever wins, covers the spread in the opening round of the NFL postseason.

Last season, the Houston Texas won and covered versus the Cincinnati Bengals, the Green Bay Packers won and covered against the Minnesota Vikings, the Baltimore Ravens won and covered over the Indianapolis Colts, and the Seattle Seahawks won and cover against the Washington Redskins.

In 2011-12, the Texans, Saints, Giants, and Broncos all came away with the SU and ATS victory. In 2010-11, the Seahawks, Jets, Ravens, and Packers were big for fans and bettors during the Wild Card Weekend. In 2009-10, the Jets, Cowboys, Ravens, and Cardinals were good enough for the win and cover. And in 2008-09, the Cardinals, Chargers, Ravens, and Eagles all won SU and ATS.

In fact, the last Wild Card winners to fall short of the spread were the Jacksonville Jaguars, who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-29 but couldn’t cover as 2.5-point road favorites in the 2007-08 NFL Wild Card Weekend. The three other Wild Card winners that year – Seahawks, Giants, and Chargers – all managed to exceed the oddsmakers’ expectations.

This weekend, oddsmakers have the Kansas City Chiefs (+2.5) priced at +115 to win SU versus the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints (+2.5) at +130 moneyline underdogs at Philadelphia, the San Diego Chargers (+7) listed at +250 pups in Cincinnati, and the Green Bay Packers (+2.5) are +130 moneyline underdogs at home to San Francisco.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WINNING POINTS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Pittsburgh over North Carolina State* by 6

Ohio State* over Nebraska by 18

Memphis* over Cincinnati by 5

Tulsa* over CS Fullerton by 9

Western Kentucky over Troy* by 8

Georgetown* over St. John’s by 7
SJU can bang and hang if the Hoyas’ bricklaying guards have one of their typical misfire
outings.
GEORGETOWN, 69-62.

Iowa State over Texas Tech* by 14

SMU* over Connecticut by 1
UConn is the stranger in a strange land in a circled game for SMU and Larry Brown.
SMU, 68-67.

Syracuse* over Miami-FL by 18

Vanderbilt* over Northeastern by 10

Maryland* over Georgia Tech by 7

Arizona* over Washington by 24
Second road game in less than three nights for the depth-shy Romar Roundballers,
against one of the best teams in the nation. Let the rout begin.
ARIZONA, 92-68.

Delaware* over Cal Poly-SLO by 9

Marquette* over Depaul by 14

Indiana* over Michigan State by 1

St. Bonaventure* over Cornell by 25

Wisconsin-GB* over Youngstown State by 12
Big guys vs. little guys edge for the host Gee Bees, but Youngstown can stay in any
game when their bevy of three-point shooters are hot. However, they lost by 11 and
17 in last year’s series.
WISCONSIN-GB, 79-67.

Detroit* over Wright State by 6

Xavier* over Butler by 2

Illinois* over Penn State by 9

North Texas* over Cal-Riverside by 4

Creighton over Seton Hall* by 2
If all injured hands are on deck for Seton Hall, they’ll have the right amount of size,
length, muscle and shooting to hang with Creighton as the Blue Jays make their initial
trip to the East Coast as a member of the Big East.
CREIGHTON, 78-76.

Florida* over Richmond by 19
If Billy Donovan can get his kids to care, it shouldn’t be close.
FLORIDA, 78-59.

Utah* over Oregon State by 10
Oregon State has a knack for playing games in which the spread is in doubt in the final
seconds.
UTAH, 82-72.

San Francisco* over Pepperdine by 7

South Florida* over Houston by 5

Clemson over Boston College* by 6

***BEST BET
Duke over Notre Dame* by 22
Notre Dame, not enough muscle to make Duke cringe and cry to the refs. Also, with
leading scorer Jerian Grant out for the season, Irish offense has a fine opportunity to
take a swan dive. Coach K to former assistant, Irish head coach Mike Brey: ‘Ha-ha,
you came into my conference and I come into your house and steal your cookies.’
DUKE, 82-60.

Central Florida* over Temple by 5

West Virginia over TCU* by 5

Oklahoma State over Kansas State* by 8
K-State plays strong defense, but the best offensive teams in the nation have a habit of overcoming the road, and a strong home defense.
OKLAHOMA STATE, 71-63.

Florida State* over Virginia by 11

South Alabama* over Georgia State by 1

Missouri* over Long Beach State by 24
Most teams are opening their conference season but LBS head coach Dan Monson is
still spending his Big West program’s money traveling to places where they should get
killed.
MISSOURI, 84-60.

UL-Lafayette over UL-Monroe* by 4

Arkansas State over Texas State* by 2

Saint Louis* over Yale by 20

Valparaiso over Oakland* by 3

Louisville over Rutgers* by 19

Texas-Arlington* over Arkansas-LR by 9

Loyola Marymount over Santa Clara* by 1
Shot-hog Anthony Ireland got 9 assists for Marymount in their home upset of BYU
last Saturday. Freshman guard Evan Payne doubled Ireland’s 14 points. What’s goin’
on here?
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, 81-80.

New Mexico* over Colorado State by 9

Nevada* over Wyoming by 3
Wyoming gets an offensive rebound about twice a half, and that’s only a slight exaggeration. Nevada gets about twice as many and they’re not even a big team. NEVADA, 63-60.

**PREFERRED
Old Dominion* over George Mason by 10
Former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt is in the process of putting the George
Mason program farther in the rear-view. They’re in the A-10 now, where they figure
to be buried, but before they open that conference season they have to go back to former CAA foe Old Dominion and play a true, non-conference road game. They are
turning the ball over 15 times per game despite reverting to a slow-paced style. ODU
is a desperate team playing one of few winnable games.
OLD DOMINION, 70-60.

James Madison over NC-Wilmington* by 4

Massachusetts* over Miami-OH by 27

Lasalle over Penn* by 8

***BEST BET
LSU* over Rhode Island by 28
Traveling down into an SEC house, with a team scoring only 67.5 ppg, hitting only
29.4% on three-pointers and a roster that has a severe lack of experience in the frontcourt is probably not the best way to avoid getting killed. It’s a good day to be LSU’s two leading scorers, 6’9” Johnny O’Bryant and 6’8” Jordan Mickey, who are supported by group of junior and senior guards.
LSU, 78-50.

Mississippi* over Dayton by 5

Harvard over Rice* by 14

Texas* over Oklahoma by 5

Wisconsin-Milwaukee* over Cleveland State by 2

Gonzaga* over Pacific by 16

**PREFERRED
Indiana State over Evansville* by 10
D.J. Balentine, a 6’2” soph, has stepped up and filled the Colt Ryan scoring void for
Evansville against a weak schedule so far, scoring 22.8 ppg. Visiting ISU will say, ‘We
knew Colt Ryan. You, son, are no Colt Ryan.’ Nobody else scores in double digits for
the Purple Aces.
INDIANA STATE, 72-62.

Bradley* over Drake by 1

Arkansas* over Texas San Antonio by 31

BYU* over San Diego by 16

Boise State* over Fresno State by 10

Utah State* over San Jose State by 19

St. Mary’s over Portland* by 4

UNLV* over Air Force by 15

[Can'tPickAWinner]

POINTWISE

COLLEGE KEY RELEASES
OAKLAND over Valparaiso (Sat) RATING: 1
CLEMSON over Boston College (Sat) RATING: 2
DRAKE over Bradley (Sat) RATING: 5

(12:00) Pittsburgh 70 - NORTH CAROLINA STATE 66 _____ _____

(12:00) OHIO STATE 75 - Nebraska 53 (BIG10) _____ _____

(12:00) MEMPHIS 69 - Cincinnati 66 (ESPN2) _____ _____

(1:00) TULSA 76 - Cal-Fullerton 61 _____ _____

(1:00) Western Kentucky 68 - TROY 59 _____ _____

(1:00) GEORGETOWN 71 - St Johns 60 (FOX1) _____ _____

(1:45) TEXAS TECH 69 - Iowa State 64 _____ _____

(2:00) Connecticut 77- SMU 72 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(2:00) SYRACUSE 85 - Miami-Florida 67 _____ _____

(2:00) VANDERBILT 72 - Northeastern 58 _____ _____

(2:00) MARYLAND 70 - Georgia Tech 65 _____ _____

(2:00) ARIZONA 73 - Washington 52 _____ _____

(2:00) DELAWARE 68 - Cal-Poly Slo 57 _____ _____

(2:00) MARQUETTE 81 - DePaul 75 (CBSC) _____ _____

(2:00) INDIANA 72 - Michigan State 71 (CBS) _____ _____

(2:00) ST BONAVENTURE 77 - Cornell 52 (NBCS) _____ _____

(2:00) WISC-GREEN BAY 69 - Youngstown State 59 _____ _____

(2:00) DETROIT 68 - Wright State 67 _____ _____

(2:00) XAVIER 73 - Butler 72 _____ _____

(2:15) ILLINOIS 67 - Penn State 55 _____ _____

(3:00) NORTH TEXAS 71 - Cal-Riverside 64 _____ _____

(3:00) SETON HALL 76 - Creighton 72 (FOX1) _____ _____

(3:00) FLORIDA 84 - Richmond 61 _____ _____

(4:00) UTAH 79 - Oregon State 62 _____ _____

(4:00) SAN FRANCISCO 78 - Pepperdine 66 _____ _____

(4:00) SOUTH FLORIDA 75 - Houston 61 (CBSC) _____ _____

(4:00) Clemson 67 - BOSTON COLLEGE 58 _____ _____

(4:00) NOTRE DAME 74 - Duke 73 (CBS) _____ _____

(4:00) CENTRAL FLORIDA 81 - Temple 70 (ESPNN) _____ _____

(4:00) West Virginia 67 - TCU 57 _____ _____

(4:00) Oklahoma State 72 - KANSAS STATE 71 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(5:00) FLORIDA STATE 63 - Virginia 56 (ESPN2) _____ _____

(5:00) SOUTH ALABAMA 70 - Georgia State 69 _____ _____

(5:00) MISSOURI 84 - Long Beach State 57 (FSN) _____ _____

(5:00) La-Lafayette 79 - LA-MONROE 70 _____ _____

(5:30) TEXAS STATE 62- Arkansas State 61 _____ _____

(8:30) SAINT LOUIS 76 - Yale 72 (NBCS) _____ _____

(8:00) OAKLAND 77 - Valparaiso 66 _____ _____

(6:00) Louisville 80 - RUTGERS 57 (CBSC) _____ _____

(6:00) TEXAS-ARLINGTON 70 - Arkansas-Little Rock 59 _____ _____

(6:00) Loyola-Marymount 64 - SANTA CLARA 62 _____ _____

(6:00) NEW MEXICO 83 - Colorado State 64 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(6:00) Wyoming 66 - NEVADA 58 (BIG10) _____ _____

(7:00) George Mason 81 - OLD DOMINION 73 _____ _____

(7:00) UNC-WILMINGTON 67 - James Madison 62 _____ _____

(7:00) MASSACHUSETTS 76 - Miami-Ohio 56 _____ _____

(7:00) PENNSYLVANIA 58 - LaSalle 55 _____ _____

(8:00) LSU 73 - Rhode Island 54 _____ _____

(8:00) MISSISSIPPI 66 - Dayton 61 _____ _____

(8:00) Harvard 87 - RICE 65 (CBSC) _____ _____

(8:00) TEXAS 78 - Oklahoma 77 _____ _____

(8:00) WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE 74 - Cleveland State 72 _____ _____

(8:00) GONZAGA 83 - Pacific 66 _____ _____

(8:00) EVANSVILLE 72 - Indiana State 61 (ESPNU) _____ _____

(8:00) Drake 69 - BRADLEY 62 _____ _____

(8:00) ARKANSAS 85 - Texas-San Antonio 64 _____ _____

(9:00) BYU 76 - San Diego 55 _____ _____

(9:00) BOISE STATE 73 - Fresno State 53 _____ _____

(9:00) UTAH STATE 68 - San Jose State 57 _____ _____

(10:00) Saint Marys 61 - PORTLAND 56 _____ _____

(10:00) UNLV 75 - Air Force 61 _____ _____

BEST BETS
TEXAS TECH
DEPAUL
FLORIDA
UTAH
CLEMSON (2)
FLORIDA STATE
WEST VIRGINIA
YALE
OAKLAND (1)
OKLAHOMA
EVANSVILLE
DRAKE (5)
SAINT MARYS

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets

CBB TENNESSEE TECH at BELMONT
Play On - Underdogs of 10 or more points (TENNESSEE TECH) poor three point shooting team (<=32%) against an average 3PT defense (32-36.5%), average ball handling team (14.5-17.5 TO) vs. a poor pressure defense (<=14.5 TO) after 15+ games
59-26 over the last 5 seasons. ( 69.4% 30.4 units )

CBB CINCINNATI at MEMPHIS
Play On - Home favorites of -165 to -500 vs. the money line (MEMPHIS) top caliber team - outscoring their opponents by 12+ points/game, after leading their last 2 games by 10+ points at the half
209-41 since 1997. ( 83.6% 83.0 units )
3-2 this year. ( 60.0% -6.6 units )

CBB GEORGE MASON at OLD DOMINION
Play Against - A favorite vs. the 1rst half line (OLD DOMINION) a poor offensive team (63-67 PPG) against a good defensive team (63-67 PPG), after a loss by 6 points or less
67-31 over the last 5 seasons. ( 68.4% 32.9 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets

NHL VANCOUVER at LOS ANGELES
Play On - Home Favorites against the money line (LOS ANGELES) after failing to cover the spread in 5 or more consecutive games, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season
48-7 since 1997. ( 87.3% 36.9 units )

NHL VANCOUVER at LOS ANGELES
Play On - Home teams against the money line (LOS ANGELES) after failing to cover the spread in 5 or more consecutive games, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season
51-13 since 1997. ( 79.7% 34.0 units )

NHL VANCOUVER at LOS ANGELES
Play On - A favorite against the money line (LOS ANGELES) after failing to cover the spread in 5 or more consecutive games, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season
58-15 since 1997. ( 79.5% 37.0 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% 1.0 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

No. 5 MSU travels to Indiana on Saturday
by Mark Kern

Assembly Hall - Bloomington, IN
Tip-off: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Line: TBD

No. 5 Michigan State looks for its second consecutive road victory to start Big Ten play as it visits Indiana Saturday afternoon.

Last season, these teams played two thrilling games, with the Hoosiers winning both matchups, including a 75-70 victory in Assembly Hall. That gives them three straight wins in this series following a six-game series win streak by the Spartans. Michigan State (7-5 ATS) has bounced back nicely since its lone loss of the season to North Carolina on Dec. 4, winning five straight games by an average of 23.4 PPG. In their last game against Penn State on Tuesday, the Spartans found themselves down seven points at halftime, but cranked up the defensive intensity in the second half to pull away for the easy 79-63 victory, outscoring the Nittany Lions 39-16 after the break. While MSU's offense has been excellent this season with 83.3 PPG (20th in nation), it will be facing an Indiana team that is nearly as potent on the offensive end with 82.0 PPG (28th in D-I). The Hoosiers (6-6-1 ATS) are coming off an 83-80 overtime loss at Illinois on New Year's Eve. While the Hoosiers have done a nice job scoring, they are still gelling as a cohesive offensive unit with only 12.2 APG (234th in nation). If they are going to beat the Spartans on Saturday, they must play together on the offensive end, as Michigan State does not give up many easy baskets.

The Spartans are one of the most balanced teams in the country, with four guys averaging double figures in points. The backcourt of SG Gary Harris (17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.0 APG) and PG Keith Appling (15.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 47% threes) may the be very best in all of college basketball. Appling is an extension of head coach Tom Izzo, directing the Spartans offense to 19.2 APG (2nd in nation) and a strong 48.7% FG clip (31st in D-I). He has grown as a point guard throughout his career, with an impressive 2.6 Ast/TO ratio this season. However, it is not just the terrific backcourt for the Spartans that makes the team so good, as there is a lot of talent in the frontcourt as well. C Adreian Payne (17.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 44% threes) and SF Branden Dawson (11.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.4 APG) do an outstanding job of controlling the pain on both ends of the court, as the Spartans rank 15th in the nation in rebounding (41.5 RPG). Payne has proven to be the type of guy that plays his best in the biggest games, as he averaged 17.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG in the two matchups against the Hoosiers last season. Dawson does a great job of understanding his role for the Spartans, and not trying to do anything more than that, making 59.2% FG. His rebounding has improved mightily this season, as he is averaging 3.4 more rebounds per game than he did last season. Michigan State has national title aspirations, as well as Big Ten title aspirations. For the Spartans to achieve these goals, these are the types of hostile environments that they must be able to win in. It will not be easy though, as they are facing an Indiana team looking to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play.

In the loss to Illinois, PG Yogi Ferrell (17.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.1 APG) almost single-handedly willed the Hoosiers to a victory. In that game, he scored 30 points (9-of-15 FG), including 5-of-8 from the three-point line with five rebounds and four assists. However, as the case has been this season, the Hoosiers relied too much on one-on-one offense. They had only 11 assists on their 23 field goals, which has been a problem all season. The biggest strength of Indiana this season has been its ability to dominate the glass, ranking 4th in the country with 45.4 rebounds per game. That will be a huge key in this game as the Spartans are once again one of the most physical teams in all of the country. Indiana is a young team, but the talent is there to become a force in the Big Ten. Freshman PF Noah Vonleh (12.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG) is emerging as a legitimate second scorer for the Hoosiers. In the loss against Illinois, he had 16 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals before fouling out. The lone veteran on the team, senior SF Will Sheehey (10.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG) is to the Hoosiers what Dawson is to the Spartans as a versatile player able to contribute in many different ways. But after making 38% of his threes as a sophomore and 35% as a junior, he currently carries a 24% three-point clip (9-for-37) in his senior season. It is still too early to say that the Hoosiers are on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but a win against a national title contender like Michigan State would go a long way in proving that the Hoosiers deserve a berth this season.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

No. 7 Duke visits Notre Dame on Saturday
by Robert Livingston

Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center - South Bend, IN
Tip-off: Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET
Line: TBD

Notre Dame begins its first season of ACC play on Saturday against one of the conference’s toughest teams when No. 7 Duke makes its way to South Bend.

The Irish have suffered some disappointing losses to start the season, notably falling to unranked foes Indiana State and North Dakota State, both at home. They also lost to their only two ranked opponents (Ohio State and Iowa), and currently sit at 4-6-1 ATS overall, including a terrible 1-6-1 ATS at home. Duke's two losses have come against Kansas and Arizona, who were both ranked in the top five in the nation when the defeats occurred. Since the loss to the Wildcats, the Blue Devils have won five in a row (4-1 ATS) and are now 8-5 ATS this season. Their past two wins, against Eastern Michigan and Elon, came by a combined 61 points, but they have not played a true road game all season. Duke's offense ranks 14th nationally with 85.2 PPG, and it is making 50.2% of its shots (9th in nation). These two programs have met only once since Mike Brey, an assistant at Duke under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, took over as the Notre Dame head coach. That meeting occurred in the Round of 32 in the 2002 NCAA Tournament when the top-seeded Blue Devils overcame a seven-point deficit with about six minutes to play and beat the eighth-seeded Irish by a score of 84-77.

Duke’s offense is led by dominant freshman PF Jabari Parker (21.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG), who often plays down low for the Blue Devils but has the athleticism to score from anywhere on the floor. He leads the team in rebounding and is also hitting an impressive 46% of his three-pointers, making 53% FG overall. SF Rodney Hood (17.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG) also has height and versatility (53% FG, 43% threes), and he and Parker form one of the nation’s top-scoring duos. PG Quinn Cook (13.5 PPG, 6.3 APG) runs the offense for the Blue Devils, helping push the pace and make sure everybody gets their touches. He carries an impressive 3.2 Ast/TO ratio and also has at least two steals in five consecutive games and 16 in his past three contests. And off the bench, SG Andre Dawkins (9.6 PPG) is lethal from three-point range, hitting 51% of his tries (30-of-59). Although he hasn't gotten the playing time against top competition, averaging just 3.5 PPG in 7.3 MPG versus large-conference schools (Alabama, Arizona, Michigan and UCLA), he has feasted on smaller schools by averaging a hefty 16.5 PPG in 20.7 MPG against Florida Atlantic, UNC-Asheville, Vermont, Gardner-Webb, Eastern Michigan and Elon. Dawkins has not attempted a two-point basket in any of his past three games, and is averaging 17.5 PPG on 11-of-17 threes (65%) over his past two contests.

Notre Dame lost its leading scorer and passer when it suspended point guard Jerian Grant, who through the team’s first 12 games averaged 19.0 PPG and 6.2 APG. Now the offense should run through more through the post, where C Garrick Sherman (14.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG) and SF Pat Connaughton (13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG) are both capable of putting up points. Sherman, a 6-foot-11 center, is more of a traditional post player with a 54% FG clip, while Connaughton, a swingman, can stretch defenses, hitting 2.5 threes per game on a 43% accuracy rate. On the perimeter, the loss of Grant will only place more pressure on G Eric Atkins (13.2 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.4 RPG). In the team’s lone game without Grant, a scary 87-81 overtime win against 12-point underdog Canisius, Atkins was tremendous, scoring 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. He also had seven assists, but turned it over seven times in that game too, so others like freshman G Demetrius Jackson (7.3 PPG, 2.0 APG) will have to pick up the slack. In his past five games, Jackson has only two turnovers in 135 minutes on the court, but has just eight assists in this span.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WINNING POINTS

COMPASS BOWL (Birmingham, AL)
Houston over Vanderbilt by 1
Houston opened 5-0 SU/ATS and ended the season on a sweet note, routing SMU
34-0. Their four losses were by 20 points total, two coming on the road vs. top 20
teams. The upgrade over last year’s 5-7 mark was fueled by newcomers. OC Doug
Meacham and DC David Gibbs were smart hires. Meacham is gone, wooed away by
TCU, but the man assuming his play-calling duties, holdover Travis Bush, assumed
that role last year when Mike Nesbitt was forced out in early September. Other newcomers of note were true freshmen John O’Korn and Greg Ward, the latter of whom
will see snaps as a red-zone QB and as a WR. Abetted by a disruptive defense that led
the nation in turnovers gained, giving the offense many short fields, UH had 31 scoring
drives under two minutes. Vanderbilt rebounded from a lopsided loss to Texas A
& M, winning their last four starts while displaying a gnarly defense. James Franklin
is an excellent coach, RB Jerron Seymour has elevated his game, cushioning the departure of Zac Stacy, hyper-productive WR Jordan Matthews will play on Sundays, and the Commodores have two studs in the secondary in Kenny Ladler and Andre Hall.
But Vanderbilt played a weak schedule by SEC standards, opposing only five teams
with winning records, and injuries have left relatively inexperienced Patton Robinette
as the only quarterback on the roster with game experience. If the precocious O’Korn
avoids interceptions (he had only 8 in 399 throws), the Cougars will likely prevail.
HOUSTON 27-26.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WINNING POINTS

NFL WILDCARDS
*Indianapolis over Kansas City by 7
There was a sneak preview of this matchup only two weeks ago and Indianapolis
won, 23-7, at Kansas City. The key question is has anything changed from then?
Not likely. The Colts didn't just win they dominated. Indianapolis not only held
Kansas City to one score, but recorded four sacks, picked off Alex Smith twice and
stopped the Colts on eight of nine third down attempts. Now the Colts are at
Lucas Oil Stadium where they went 6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS this season and are 13-3 SU,
12-4 ATS during the two-year Andrew Luck era. The Colts received their playoff
baptism last season in Luck's rookie season. Kansas City last made the playoffs during
the 2010 season. The Chiefs covered seven of their eight road games, but are
an outdoor grass team that will be playing in a dome for the first time this season.
They lack Indy's playoff experience as new coach Andy Reid has turned over much
of the roster. The Chiefs have feasted on weak teams and their defense has
declined. If you discount their Week 14 game against the hapless Redskins, the
Chiefs have surrendered 184 points in their last six games, which comes out to
30.6 points per game. Kansas City peaked during September and October. The
only teams they have managed to beat during their last six games are Oakland and
Washington. Since their bye in Week 10 and discounting the Redskins game, the
Chiefs have managed only a combined five sacks in six games. That's not going to
cut it against Luck, an elite talent. By contrast, Colts star pass rusher Robert
Mathis led the NFL in sacks with 19.5 and forced eight fumbles. The Chiefs
haven't beaten a top team all season while the Colts knocked of three of the best
teams in the NFL – Denver, San Francisco and Seattle – while proving they can
win in a shootout or in a physical battle. The best team the Chiefs defeated was the
Eagles. Their other victories came against all non-playoff teams - Jaguars,
Cowboys, Giants, Titans, Raiders twice, Texans, Browns, Bills and Redskins. A big
part of Kansas City's success was a plus 22 turnover ratio. Turnovers are hard to
predict, but the Colts were plus 13 in takeaways/giveaways. The Colts committed
the fewest turnovers in the league losing the ball just 14 times. Jamaal Charles is a
magnificent talent. But even with Charles producing a strong game, the Chiefs
managed only seven points against the Colts. Smith is just a glorified game manager,
not the playmaker Luck is. Quarterback matters the most, especially when it
comes to the playoffs. Also, Smith's top downfield threat, Dwayne Bowe, missed
last Sunday with a concussion.
INDIANAPOLIS 27-20.

New Orleans over *Philadelphia by 4
The Saints' road woes are well documented. Still, we're talking about an underdog
that has a top-three quarterback and a much superior defense. Rarely do you find
those kind of pluses when taking points. Keep in mind, too, that while the Saints
own a losing road record, the Eagles didn't post a winning home mark.
Philadelphia also is 3-10-1 ATS the past 14 times when taking on opponents with
an overall winning record. Nick Foles has an insane 27-to-2 touchdown-to-interception
ratio. But the Saints have Drew Brees, who doesn't exactly have shady
quarterback numbers either with a 39-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Do
you want Brees or Foles, who is unproven in the postseason, going for you? Our
clear choice is Brees. No knock on Foles and LeSean McCoy, who led the league
in rushing with 1,607 yards and set a team record with 2,146 yards from scrimmage.
It's just a question of trust. The Eagles are 6-20-1 ATS in their last 26 games
at Lincoln Financial Field. They won four games last season. Chip Kelly came from
Oregon, build an exciting offense and took advantage of a terrible division. Now
the Eagles have a chance to win their first playoff game since 2008. The Saints
annually make the postseason under Sean Payton and have a Super Bowl title in
their collection. We like Kelly. We like Foles. We just trust Payton and Brees more.
This is especially so given the Saints' defensive superiority. Rob Ryan should be
defensive coordinator of the year for straightening out a huge mess. The Saints
ranked fourth defensively in fewest yards allowed per game at 305.7 and also were
No. 4 in fewest points given up at 305.7. Foles was lucky enough to face soft NFC
East Division defenses. Now he has to deal with Ryan's various blitzes. On the flip
side, the Eagles were terrible defensively in 2012 and they weren't that much better
this season ranking 29th in total defense yielding 394 per game. That's nearly
90 yards per game more than New Orleans. Yes, the Saints are one-dimensional.
They can't run the ball. In today's NFL, which so favors passing and is skewed
toward offense, that's not necessarily a fatal flaw. The Saints can get away with this
facing an Eagles secondary that ranked dead last in pass defense surrendering
almost 290 yards passing per game. Brees not only has a deep set of wide receiving
threats, but also the premier tight end in Jimmy Graham. Nobody caught more
touchdowns this season than Graham, who hauled in 16. Payton also makes up for
a below average ground attack with a deadly array of screen passes that Brees executes to perfection.
NEW ORLEANS 28-24.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cleveland Insider

NHL
1* Winnipeg/Boston under 5
1* Vancouver/LA Kings under 5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jeff Clement

8 Units Philadelphia Eagles -2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Cash System

extra pick:

Boise State -13 over Fresno State (Spread Bet) (NCAA College Basketball) - Game Starts at 9:00 PM EST

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Andre Gomes

NFL Wild Card - 101 Kansas City Chiefs @ 102 Indianapolis Colts

***FREE Premium Play***

I expect this contest to be a low scoring game due to the nature of both team’s offensive mindsets and their improved defenses going to today’s matchup.

It’s no secret that KC will try to establish their running game w/ Jamal Charles and control the flow of the game w/ Alex Smith. Meanwhile, the Colts are also a run-heavy oriented team, although lately they are more a pass-control offensive team. Both teams simply don’t want to commit Turnovers and they were great during the regular season in this department w/ IND ranked #1 w/ 0.88 TO/game while IND was #2 w/ 1.12 TO/game.

The h2h between these two teams a couple of weeks ago was exactly decided in the TO battle, because the Colts played a free game, while KC committed a season high 4 TO’s that prevented them to control the clock (only 21:40 vs. 38:20 from IND) and naturally they lost the game.

After some bizarre and humiliating losses against inferior level teams, the Colts played better down the stretch and it was their defense the main catalyst for such improved play as they have allowed only 3, 7 and 10 pts L3 games.

KC defense had a natural letdown in the last weeks as their competition got stronger, but I it’s impossible to ignore the fact that two of their best defensive players Tamba Hali and Justin Houston got injured. The good news is that both will play today and so, we can expect a KC improved defense on the field that had basically two weeks to prepare for today’s game.

With two offenses focused in not committing TO’s and manage the game & two improved defenses, I feel that we are dealing w/ an inflated totals line and that’s why I’m taking the Under in here.

Pick: 3 units (Single Dime Play) on 101/102 Under 46 @ -110 / 1.91 on BetOnline (http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/redirect-to/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fpartners.commission.bz%2Fpr ocessing%2Fclickthrgh.asp%3Fbtag%3Da_36640b_419)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marc Lawrence

Playoff GOY GB

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Psychic wise guy 5* Philly

Wizard (1-10) 5* Houston, 5* ND ST, 7* Colts, 7*colts over

JT- Canisius

Totals 4 U (1-100) 71% Philly over

Iceman (1-3) 1* San Jose

Genius (1-10) 5* Okl City

Joe Wright (1-5) 2 * Indiana -11, 3* Philly

Sports report (1-10) 6* K/Indy Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's NBA Picks

Oklahoma City at Minnesota

The Thunder try to snap a 2-game losing streak as they face a Minnesota team that is coming off a 124-112 win over New Orleans and is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games following a SU victory of more than 10 points. Oklahoma City is the pick (+2) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+2). Here are all of today's picks.


SATURDAY, JANUARY 4
Time Posted: 10:30 a.m. EST


Game 501-502: Miami at Orlando (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 121.037; Orlando 118.706
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 2 1/2; 207
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 9 1/2; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (+9 1/2); Over


Game 503-504: New Orleans at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 117.217; Indiana 130.620
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 13 1/2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 11; 193
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-11); Under


Game 505-506: Cleveland at Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 114.002; Brooklyn 119.090
Dunkel Line & Total: Brooklyn by 5; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Brooklyn by 8 1/2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+8 1/2); Over


Game 507-508: Atlanta at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 119.268; Chicago 120.252
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 5; 189
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+5); Under


Game 509-510: Oklahoma City at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 129.115; Minnesota 122.379
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 6 1/2; 213
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 2; 208
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+2); Over


Game 511-512: LA Clippers at San Antonio (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 122.608; San Antonio 122.973
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 202
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 8; 206 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+8); Under


Game 513-514: Milwaukee at Phoenix (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 110.530; Phoenix 124.555
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 14; 207
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 9; 200
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-9); Over


Game 515-516: Philadelphia at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 112.766; Portland 121.355
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 8 1/2; 222
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 13; 225
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+13); Under


Game 517-518: Charlotte at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 111.842; Sacramento 120.115
Dunkel Line & Total: Sacramento by 8 1/2; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Sacramento by 5; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (-5); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

killer move
under rangers

[Can'tPickAWinner]

John Ryan 10* CBB Titan

Long Beach State +15.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting Line Moves

Quinnipiac -3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Northcoast

3'* Indy +1'
3* under 53' NO / Phil


Top opinions
NO +3
Houston +2
North Dakota -14


Regular opinions
Under 52 Houston / vandy
Under 46 kc/Indy

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd 5* Big East GOM

St Johns

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Matt Fargo 10* CBB Ultimate Underdog

Rice

[golden contender]

Saturday card has 6* NFL Playoff Total Of the Year from a Rare system, the 5* NFC Double system side and triple Perfect 5* Compass Bowl systems + 100% NBA System with 28-1 Power Angle and NCAAB RPI Power Angle Plays. Free NCAAB Power angle Play below.

On Saturday the Free NCABB Power Angle Play is on Marquette. Game 546 at 2;00 eastern. Marquette was smoked at Creighton last out losing by double digits and shooting a season low 35% from the field. The Golden Eagles have responded big, covering 13 straight after losing as a road dog. Marquette is 9-1 straight up and ats off a conference loss and has won 13 of 14 at home vs Depaul. They are 6-1 and winning by an average 20 points her. Depaul has struggled vs winning teams and has lost 36 of the last 47 vs teams over .500. The Demons have shot under 375 in the past 2 games and are in the wrong place at the wrong time here against Marquette. Lay the Points with the Golden Eagles. On Saturday we have the 6* NFL Playoff total of the Year and the 5* NGC Double system side. In early action the 5* Compass bowl Triple perfect side and an NCAAB RPI Power Angle mismatch. There is also a 100% NBA System Play with a 28-1 Angle. Jump on and cash big with Cutting edge data you wont see any where else. For the free play take Marquette. GC

SU: 11-2
ATS: 13-0-0

Final
Team 75.8
Opp 63.2

Date Link Day Season Team Opp Site Final Rest Line Total SUm ATSm OUm DPS DPA SUr ATSr OUr ot
Mar 08, 2011 Tue 2010 MARQ PROV home 87-66 2&2 -7.0 154.5 21 14.0 -1.5 6.2 -7.8 W W U 0
Mar 18, 2011 Fri 2010 MARQ XAVER away 66-55 7&6 -1.0 139.0 11 10.0 -18.0 -4.0 -14.0 W W U 0
Jan 07, 2012 Sat 2011 MARQ SYR away 66-73 2&2 11.5 148.0 -7 4.5 -9.0 -2.2 -6.8 L W U 0
Jan 11, 2012 Wed 2011 MARQ STJ home 83-64 3&3 -13.5 144.0 19 5.5 3.0 4.2 -1.2 W W O 0
Mar 03, 2012 Sat 2011 MARQ GT home 83-69 2&4 -5.0 132.0 14 9.0 20.0 14.5 5.5 W W O 0
Dec 08, 2012 Sat 2012 MARQ WISC home 60-50 8&3 2.5 130.0 10 12.5 -20.0 -3.8 -16.2 W W U 0
Jan 26, 2013 Sat 2012 MARQ PROV home 81-71 6&3 -8.0 134.0 10 2.0 18.0 10.0 8.0 W W O 0
Feb 06, 2013 Wed 2012 MARQ SOFLA away 70-47 2&2 -4.0 122.5 23 19.0 -5.5 6.8 -12.2 W W U 0
Feb 16, 2013 Sat 2012 MARQ PITT home 79-69 4&6 2.5 125.0 10 12.5 23.0 17.8 5.2 W W O 0
Feb 25, 2013 Mon 2012 MARQ SYR home 74-71 1&1 1.5 130.5 3 4.5 14.5 9.5 5.0 W W O 0
Nov 28, 2013 Thu 2013 MARQ CSF away 86-66 2&4 -10.5 140.5 20 9.5 11.5 10.5 1.0 W W O 0
Dec 07, 2013 Sat 2013 MARQ WIS away 64-70 5&2 9.0 130.0 -6 3.0 4.0 3.5 0.5 L W O 0
Dec 14, 2013 Sat 2013 MARQ INDPU home 86-50 6&3 -18.5 140.5 36 17.5 -4.5 6.5 -11.0 W W U 0
Jan 04, 2014 Sat 2013 MARQ DEP home 3&3 -11.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rainman
3 philly
regular under NO, KC, Hous

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rainman

3 philly

regular under NO, KC, Hous

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Lee Sterling

20 KC
15 over Philly

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Cash System Play of The Day for Today: 1/4
NCAA College Basketball





Oakland -1 over Valparaiso
(Spread Bet)




Overall Record: 194-173

(System Record: 194-8, Won last 5 games)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Best Weekend wagers with Weekend Warrior January 04, 2014 7:25 AM by Mark Mayer

NCAA Football

109 Towson +14: The monster that is North Dakota State no longer at home. Towson went to Eastern Washington and won. They won’t be intimidated.

Results 2013 NCAA FB (0-1-0) Overall Record: 15-17-3

NFL Football

102 Indianapolis Colts -1½: Kansas City lost twice to Denver, twice to San Diego and once to the Colts. They benefitted from a soft schedule. Andrew Luck and Indy wins big ballgames.

104 Philadelphia Eagles -2½: Take a dome team like New Orleans facing the elements in Philly and you have a problem. Plus the Eagles come in with momentum and belief in Nick Foles.


Results 2013 NFL (0-0-0) Overall Record: 26-31-1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RealSwoop

Vanderbilt

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Scott Stylze Sports 1/4/14 NFL

Kansas City -1
New Orleans +2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA Basketball Play of the Day January 04, 2014 6:46 AM by GT Staff

Charlotte Bobcats at Sacramento Kings at 7:05 p.m. PST

The Bobcats have had a well-deserved day off to ponder a nightmare road trip. Sacramento isn’t Oklahoma City or Portland so this may be the one game they can hang in.

517 Charlotte Bobcats +5½


Results 2013-14 NBA (0-0-0) Overall Record: 6-6-0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chase Diamond

9* Penn St +7½

[Can'tPickAWinner]

marc lawrence

4 star NC ST

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Paul Leiner

100* Chiefs Pk

100* Duke -5.5

50* DePaul +11.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tony George

DePaul +11.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas Sports Informer
4 Unit Play. #265 Take Houston +3 over Vanderbilt (1:00p.m., Saturday, Jan 4 ESPN - Compass
Bowl)
Vanderbilt played well at the end of the season but with back-up QB behind center (Austyn
Carta-Samuels out with ACL) Patton Robinette I see the Houston defense dominating this game.
Houston is coming off a big win over SMU and that was a much needed win because they were
riding a 3-game losing streak. Vanderbilt is coming to this game winning 4-straight but again with
a back-up QB against a really good defense I will take defense over offense in this game. Houston
is 6-0 ATS against non-conference opponents and 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

GamingToday's Consensus Picks January 04, 2014 6:23 AM by GT Staff

NFL Football

102 Indianapolis Colts -2½: The Chiefs have gone 1-11 ATS in their last twelve playoff games and 0-7 SU and ATS in their last seven. The Colts in this series have gone 12-2 SU and 11-3 ATS and Andy Reid and company has gone 0-5 ATS vs the ponies.

104 Philadelphia Eagles -2½: The halos on the road have been no bargain this year as they went 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS in the dome while going 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS on the road and it will be one cold day in Phily.

Results 2013-14 NFL (0-0-0) Overall Record: 63-56-7

NCAA Football

266 Vanderbilt -2: Houston has gone 0-6 SU and 1-5 ATS vs the SEC, we will side with the strength of the SEC schedule and take the “doors”.

Results 2013-14 NCAA FB (2-0-0) Overall Record: 96-62-5

NCAA Basketball

541 Washington +18: No doubt that the Wildcats the better team but we look for the Huskies to stay within the number as Arizona has gone 0-5 ATS after playing Washington State who they demolished this past Thursday.

547 Michigan State -2½: We will side with Parry’s NCAA Basketball Power Guide as the power has Michigan State ten points best.

582 Florida State -4½: In this game the power page has the Seminoles -15 points better, we will lay the points.

Results 2013-14 NCAA BK (0-0-0) Overall Record: 31-24-0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

JASON SHARPE
BBVA Compass Bowl
3 Unit Play Take # 265 Houston +3 over Vanderbilt (1:00pm est):
Vanderbilt stole three close games this past season to make their 8-4 record look a lot better
than it really was. In fact the Commodores easily could be staring at a disappointing year if not
for those come from behind wins that they managed to pull off. They were soundly beaten by 32
points at Texas A&M, lost at home by 23 points to Missouri and though they lost 35-25 to South
Carolina, they were completely outplayed and were down 28-0 in that contest but ended up
saving face a bit with some late scoring.
Houston was also 8-4 this year but give the Cougars a lot of credit as they went an unreal 10-2
versus the spread in their games. This team never got the respect it desreved all season long as
they went 5-1 against the number in games versus teams who played in bowl games. They even
stayed within a touchdown to three very good football teams (Cincinnati, Louisville and Central
Florida) and keep in mind that two of those three games were also played on the road.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ALLEN EASTMAN
3-Unit Play. Take #265 Houston (+3) over Vanderbilt (-2.5) (1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)
I like the underdog in this one. There are a lot of rumors surrounding Vanderbilt head coach James
Franklin. That has been a big distraction for this team and I don't think they are ready to play. It
is already hard for a team from the SEC to get excited about playing a team like Houston. The
Cougars are tough and they have the underdog mentality.
I have seen the spread on this game move to 2.5 at some books.
That is very telling to me. Vanderbitl struggled to beat teams like Wake Forest and Tennessee and Kentucky. They are going to lose this game to the underdog
Cougars, who are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ROBERT FERRINGO
1-Unit Play. Take #266 Vanderbilt (-2.5) over Houston (1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)
Note: This play is from the KING System.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Banker Sports Play of Day
Vandy game under 52.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting Line Moves

TCU +4.5

Georgetown -6.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CappersAdvantage

CharlotteSports
Houston +3 (6.5*)


Big E
Houston +3 (2.5*)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dr. Bob
CFB
Houston

[Can'tPickAWinner]

California Sports:


Utah -7.5 ****
New Mexico -12.5 ****
St. Marys-California -3.5 ****
Wisconsin-Green Bay -9.5 ***
Pepperdine +5 ***




Master Sports:


UConn +1.5 ****
New Mexico -12 ****
Syracuse -15 ****
Clippers +8 ****
TCU +5 ***
Nevada -1 ***

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ALLEN EASTMAN
4-Unit Play. Take #531 Iowa State (-6) over Texas Tech (1:45 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)
I am going with the road favorite in this one. This Iowa State team has been awesome early in
the year. They aren't getting a lot of respect nationally. But this is one of the best teams in one
of the best conferences. I think that they can compete with Kansas and Oklahoma State for the
conference title. They should beat down this Texas Tech team. The Red Raiders are rebuilding
again and they have been blown out by any of the good teams the have faced. They are not
ready for a matchup like this. The Cyclones are 40-19 ATS in their last 59 conference games and
21-6 ATS on Saturdays. Iowa State wins with another blowout.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DOC PORTS

6 Unit Play. #625 Take Indiana State Sycamores -3 over Evansville Purple Aces (8 pm ESPN U)
The Sycamores have Jake Odum, a leader in a variety of categories for Indiana State. Evansville
is not a top team in the league this season and they already have a couple of home losses on the
season against bad teams. Evansville is a one man team on offense with only one player
averaging double digits in scoring on the season. The Purple Aces have lost 7 of their last 9
games. Evansville is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

4 Unit Play. #524 Take Memphis Tigers -5 over Cincinnati Bearcats (12 pm ESPN 2)

4 Unit Play. #531 Take Iowa State Cyclones -6 over Texas Tech Red Raiders (1:45 pm Big 12
Network) Texas Tech will be a better team under Tubby Smith but the fact remains that they just
do not have much talent. Iowa State will go on a three point barrage at one point in this game
and knock out the home team and win this game by double digits. Only 1 of Texas Tech's five
losses have been by less than today's posted number. Iowa State is 21-6 in their last 27 games
played on Saturday. Texas Tech is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning
record.

4 Unit Play. #547 Take Michigan State Spartans -3 over Indiana Hoosiers (2 pm CBS) Sparty
has been playing a lot better of late and Indiana just does not have the weapons to hang with
them this year even though the game is at home. Indiana does not have a quality win this season
and they are a fringe NCAA Tournament team. They will have their moments in this game but
Michigan State eventually pulls away to win this game convincingly.

4 Unit Play. #573 Take Duke Blue Devils -5 over Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4 pm CBS)

4 Unit Play. #582 Take Florida State Seminoles -4.5 over Virginia Cavaliers (5 pm ESPN 2)
Virginia is a mess at the moment and just does not score many points. Now they are facing one of
the best defenses in the country and that does not bode well for Tony Bennett's squad. Virginia is
coming off a 35 point loss to Tennessee on Monday and that does not bode well for a team with
shaky confidence to begin with. Florida State has righted the ship and will enter this home game
having won five straight games including a victory over undefeated UMASS. Until proven
otherwise, one must fade Virginia as their season is falling apart at the seams. Scoring in the
paint will allow Florida State to emerge victorious. Virginia is 4-18 ATS in their last 22 games
following a loss of more than 20 points in their previous game. Florida State is 8-2 ATS in their
last 10 home games

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Scott Stylze CBB

Washington +17.5
Nebraska +16.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RAS:
Davidson -1
Weber St -12
Montana -12.5
Tulsa -8
Utah St -16
Northern Ariz +5.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting Line Move

NC State +4

Memphis -5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dr bob

Nebraska +16
Morehead -6

Gtown -6
Depaul +12.5
Kansas St +6
Iona -12

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Texas Sports wire Hoops
5 Oklahoma
4 Iowa state
4 Michigan State

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EZWINNERS

2* St. John's +6
2* Oregon State +7.5
2* South Florida -5.5
2* Notre Dame +5.5
2* TCU +5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting Line Moves

Ohio State Over 130

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Larry Ness' 10* Conference Game of the Year-CBB (4 in a row?)-Day
My 10* Pac-12 Game of the Year is on Utah at 4:00 ET.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DHayes2

Chiefs -1.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

FAT JACK

Vandy Under 53
Indy Under 46
New Orleans + 2.5
New Orleans Under 54

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting Line Moves

Miami Florida +14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MTI

5 star- NO +2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BANKROLL SPORTS


10* Saints @ Eagles Under 53.5 (NFL)
5* Indianapolis Colts +1 (NFL)
5* Houston Cougars +2 (CFB)
4* New Orleans Saints +3 (NFL)
3* Notre Dame Fighting Irish +5.5 (CBB)
2* Elon Phoenix +1 (CBB)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sebastian

College hoops: 100 SMU, 100 Syracuse

College football: 100 under Houston/Vandy

NFL Wildcard: 200 over KC/Indy, 200 Under NO/Philly, 100 KC, 100 New Orleans

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MTI Sports

5-Star New Orleans +2.5 over PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles have been terrible when hosting a team that does not run the ball much. Philadelphia is 0-12 ATS at home vs a team that has averaged 25 or fewer rushes per game season-to-date. The SDQL text is:
team=Eagles and H and oA(rushes)<=25 and date>=20101003

Note that they were 0-4 ATS in this spot THIS season.

Also, the Eagles are 0-14 ATS at home the week after a game in which they passed for fewer than 350 yards and Riley Cooper did not have a 24-plus yard reception. The SDQL text here is:

H and Eagles:Riley Cooperhttp://www.cappersmall.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif:longest reception<24 and p:PY<350 and NB and date>=20110101

Note that they have lost each of their last six straight up in this spot.

The Saints' offense is ranked fourth in the league for fewest turnovers this season. This is another poor spot for Philadelphia, as they are 0-10 ATS since the start of the 2011 season when hosting a team that has averaged fewer than 1.35 turnovers per game season-to-date. Check it out using this SDQL text:

team=Eagles and H and oA(TO)<1.35 and season>=2011

They were in just this spot three times this season and they lost all three as a favorite.

We had the Eagles over 7.5 wins for the season and we had LeSean McCoy to win the rushing title at +1800. However, the reason was their weak schedule, not because they were a great team. The Saints outplayed the Patriots in New England and the Panthers in Carolina, but lost both games. Philadelphia played four playoff teams this season - they lost as a home favorite to the Chargers, lost as a home favorite to the Chiefs and were hammered 52-20 by the Broncos. The did beat the Packers, but Green Bay was without Aaron Rogers.

The NFC East was a very weak division - especially on defense. The Redskins were ranked #32 of 32 teams in yards allowed per opponent's pass attempt in 2013. The Cowboys were ranked #32 of 32 teams in total yards allowed this season. It's no wonder that the Eagles' offensive numbers look good as they got each of these teams twice during the regular season. The Eagles also faced the Bears (#30 in total yards allowed) and the Vikings (#31 in total yards allowed). So, the Eagles got to face the three worst defenses in the league and they got the Cowboys twice.

Did the Eagles get to face the team ranked #29 of 32 teams in total yards allowed in 2013? No, because THEY are ranked #29.

Philadelphia started the season 2-5 and needed a huge run to get to the playoffs, including an emotional 24-22 win over the Cowboys in Dallas in the season finale. The Saints started 5-0 and ended the season with a romp over the Bucs. The Saints belong in the playoffs and the Eagles know they were fortunate to get there.

The Saints have so many offensive weapons. They have a raft of excellent receivers and they have running backs that can catch the ball, although Pierre Thomas only had one reception for three yards in their win over the Bucs. This is actually a positive indicator, as the Saints are 8-0 ATS after a home win in which Pierre Thomas had fewer than three receptions. Check it out with this SDQL text:

Saints:Pierre Thomashttp://www.cappersmall.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif:receptions<3 and p:HW and date>=20110925

I'll take Sean Payton over Chip Kelly and I'll take Drew Brees over Nick Foles. The Saints should be able to expose the Eagles as a team that is not a real contender. Grab the 2.5 points.

MTi's FORECAST: New Orleans 31 PHILADELPHIA 17

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kelso 50 KC 25 Vandy [bowl] 50 Ind nba

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MTI Sports

3-Star Kansas City at Indianapolis UNDER 47
These two teams met two weeks ago with the Colts winning 23-7after trailing 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Chiefs suffered a 4-0 turnover margin and converted a total of one first down the entire game. We expect the Chiefs to feature their defense and their running game here and we expect the Colts to adopt a conservative approach and wait for the Chiefs to make the first mistake.
We have a decent league-wide system for which the Chiefs qualify. NFL teams are 0-13 OU when seeking same-season revenge for a TD-plus loss in which they committed at least three turnovers, had less than 31:20 of possession time and fewer than 400 yards of total offense. The SDQL text is:

P:margin<=-7 and 3<=P:TO and P:season=season and P:TOP<1880 and P:TY<400 and date>=20121201

Teams in this situation have stayed under by an average of 12.8 ppg. It makes sense that teams would be cautious in this spot.

The Chiefs themselves are The Chiefs are 0-6 OU (-6.75 ppg) versus any team with the same record after playing on the road. A fresh Jamaal Charles should also make this a low scoring game, as the Chiefs are 0-12 OU the week after a loss in which Jamaal Charles did not rush the ball ten-plus times, as long as they have three-plus days rest. The SDQL text is:

Chiefs:Jamaal Charleshttp://www.cappersmall.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif:rushes<10 and NB and p:L and rest>3 and date>=20091018

The Chiefs have stayed under by an average of 12.6 ppg in this spot.

The Colts have allowed 3, 7 and 10 points in their last three games, respectively. In their 30-10 win over the Jaguars to close out the season, Ryan Luck completed passes to ELEVEN different receivers and T. Y. Hilton caught eleven passes including a 41-yarder. This points to the UNDER, as the Colts are 0-9 OU (-10.9 ppg) after a home win in which a receiver had a reception of 40+ yards. The SDQL text is:

team=Colts and maxhttp://www.cappersmall.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif:longest reception>=40 and p:HW and date>=20090101

Whenever we investigate trends like these we always look at the "other side" to see if there is a dichotomy. In this case there is, which makes the trend more likely to be a reliable performance indicator. The Colts are 9-1 OU after a home win in which their longest reception was 28 yards or fewer.

All we need to cash this one is for the defense and special teams to stay out of the end zone and good defense in the red zone.

MTi's FORECAST: INDIANAPOLIS 23 Kansas City 20

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dr Bob W/Ratings

3* Nebraska +16
3* Morehead -6
2* Georgetown -6
2* Depaul +12.5
2* Kansas St +6
2* Iona -12

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Larry Rao
All 6 units
CBB
C Flo -2.5
Delaware -8
NFL
Eagles -3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Purelock

Indy

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EXECUTIVE FOOTBALL

250 Houston
250 Philadelphia

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Joe Gavazzi
hou -2.5 3%
philly -2.5 3%
indy pick 5%

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MySystemPicks

NFL
Eagles -3 (2*)
Chiefs -2 (2*)

NCAAF
Houston +2

NCAAB
Iowa St -6

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jrtips

COLLEGE HOOPS
- NOTRE DAME+6

- INDIANA+4

LONG BEACH ST+14

NFL

OVER 46 KC/Ind

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cappers access
vanderbilt
chiefs
eagles

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Wayne Root


Pinnacle Opening round wild card game: Kansas City Chiefs

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Legit Picks
4* Houston +1.5
4* Colts +3 (Buy 1/2 Pt)
4* Eagles -2.5 (Buy 1/2 Pt)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Prediction Machine

Saturday, January 4 at 4:35 PM ET: Kansas City Chiefs +2.5 @ Indianapolis Colts (Covers 54.3%), OVER 46.5 (Covers 52.4%)
ATS Play Type: Light
O/U Play Type: Light
The Vitals:

Projected Score: Kansas City 23.8 - Indianapolis 24.3
SU Pick and Win%: Indianapolis wins 51.7%
Playoffs - Wildcard SU Confidence Rank: #4
ATS Pick and Win%: Kansas City Chiefs +2.5 covers 54.3%
Playoffs - Wildcard ATS Confidence Rank: #2
ATS Wager for $50 player: $20
O/U Pick and Win%: OVER (46.5) 52.4%
Playoffs - Wildcard O/U Confidence Rank: #3
O/U Wager for $50 Player: $0



The Teams:
KC
IND


Straight-Up Record
11-5
11-5


Against-the-Spread Record
9-7
9-6


Over/Under Record
7-9
8-8


Avg. Points For vs. Against
26.9-19.1
24.4-21.0


Strength of Schedule Rank (of all NFL)
#5
#3


PM Passing Efficiency Rank
#7
#8


PM Rushing Efficiency Rank
#2
#5


PM Pass Defense Efficiency Rank
#4
#5


PM Rush Defense Efficiency Rank
#5
#4


Actual Pass/Run Ratio
57.0%/43.0%
#60.0%/40.0%


Turnover Margin
+18
+13



Injuries to Watch: Tamba Hali/Justin Houston, OLBs, Kansas City Chiefs - While it is impossible to put much stock into what Kansas City did in Week 17, it appears as though the team has done everything it can to get Hali and Houston as fresh and healthy as possible heading into the playoffs. With both star outside linebackers hobbled throughout the second half of the season, the Chiefs defense noticeably diminished down the stretch. This was actually more apparent against the run than the pass, and the competition was certainly tougher late in the year, but beating a below average offensive line to put pressure on Andrew Luck will be important to the Chiefs remaining competitive in this game. Also of note are the health of Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and Colts cornerback Greg Toler.
Anticipated Line Movement: Three of the four Wild Card weekend games have 2.5 point spreads, including both home teams on Saturday favored by just under a field goal. Neither line has budged all week (not even the juice), so do not expect much to change with this spread as we get closer to the game. Of the three games with 2.5 point spreads, action is most evenly distributed in this game.
The Breakdown: We have tended to fade both of these teams throughout the season. Neither is as good as its best win nor as bad as its worst loss. The rankings above note how each team compares to the other seven teams playing this weekend. Of the Wild Card teams, the Colts are essentially average to below average in everything except for pass offense where they rank as the least efficient team. This is a strong reflection of where this offense has gone since Reggie Wayne's injury. Since Wayne went down against Denver, Luck has completed less than 60% of his passes (59.8%) for just 6.4 yards-per-pass (despite playing Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville a total of five times in that stretch - against teams with above average defenses in those games, Luck is just 112-of-194, 57.7%, for 1,181 yards, 6.1 yards-per-pass). Kansas City should be as healthy as they have been in two months and appears to actually win every individual matchup. Though playing on the road, the Chiefs figure to fare well with explosive players on both sides of the field getting to play inside on turf. Look for an evenly matched game that's a toss-up straight-up. Value is in the underdog.
Boxscore: Boxscore (http://www.predictionmachine.com/NFL-Indianapolis-Colts-Kansas-City-Chiefs-01-04-2014)
KC @ IND (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#IND) NO @ PHI (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#PHI) SD @ CIN (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#CIN) SF @ GB (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#GB)
Saturday, January 4 at 8:10 PM ET:
New Orleans Saints +2.5 @ Philadelphia Eagles (Covers 51.8%), OVER 53.5 (Covers 58.9%)
ATS Play Type: Not Playable
O/U Play Type: Normal
The Vitals:
Projected Score: New Orleans 29.4 - Philadelphia 31.1
SU Pick and Win%: Philadelphia wins 53.7%
Playoffs - Wildcard SU Confidence Rank: #3
ATS Pick and Win%: New Orleans Saints +2.5 covers 51.8%
Playoffs - Wildcard ATS Confidence Rank: #4
ATS Wager for $50 player: $0
O/U Pick and Win%: OVER (53.5) 58.9%
Playoffs - Wildcard O/U Confidence Rank: #2
O/U Wager for $50 Player: $68



The Teams:
NO
PHI


Straight-Up Record
11-5
10-6


Against-the-Spread Record
8-7
8-8


Over/Under Record
6-10
8-7


Avg. Points For vs. Against
25.9-19.0
27.6-23.9


Strength of Schedule Rank (of all NFL)
#2
#7


PM Passing Efficiency Rank
#4
#1


PM Rushing Efficiency Rank
#7
#1


PM Pass Defense Efficiency Rank
#3
#6


PM Rush Defense Efficiency Rank
#8
#1


Actual Pass/Run Ratio
63.8%/36.2%
#52.6%/47.4%


Turnover Margin
0
+12



Injuries to Watch: Earl Wolff, S, Philadelphia Eagles - These two teams are incredibly healthy at this point in the season. Wolff is the only real question mark in this game. As of Wednesday, he has not practiced this week after re-aggravating a knee injury that cost him five games this season. Without Wolff in the starting lineup, more pressure will be put on slot corner Brandon Boykin, safety starter Pat Chung and cover linebacker Mychal Kendricks to keep tight end Jimmy Graham and running backs Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas in check on passing plays. Wolff would not have been able to stop those guys on his own, but the task is even more daunting with the Eagles likely down a man.
Anticipated Line Movement: After watching a poor performance by the Eagles in a narrow victory over the Tony Romo-less Cowboys, the public seems to like New Orleans in this game. Enough squares and sharps are playing against the Saints given their road woes to keep this line from moving off of the Eagles -2.5. The general public lean on New Orleans means this line is unlikely to shift to Philadelphia -3. No other line movement will have much of an impact on our pick.
The Breakdown: This is the lightest play that we have ever published in an NFL Playoff game and it's technically only worth $3 to a normal $50 player. To put that another way, if $50 is 1% of bankroll (our suggested "normal" play), we recommend putting just 0.06% on New Orleans +2.5. In our Power Rankings, the Eagles are actually the slightly better overall team and are playing at home. While that may sound like a lean on Philadelphia to leverage home field advantage and win by more than a field goal, the matchup keeps this game a little closer than that. The Eagles are much better against the run than the pass, which keeps the pass heavy, Drew Brees-led Saints in what appears to be a very close game. With the total, which is a strong opinion for us OVER 53.5, it's worth noting that weather should not be much of a factor in this contest. The temperature may only be 25 degrees, but no wind or precipitation is expected. Also, while the Saints should be able to put up points against an Eagles defense that struggles against the pass, the Saints are much worse against the run than the pass and running the ball is Philadelphia's specialty. Look for a shootout in a close game.

Boxscore: Boxscore (http://www.predictionmachine.com/NFL-Philadelphia-Eagles-New-Orleans-Saints-01-04-2014)
KC @ IND (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#IND) NO @ PHI (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#PHI) SD @ CIN (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#CIN) SF @ GB (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#GB)
Sunday, January 5 at 1:05 PM ET:
San Diego Chargers +7 @ Cincinnati Bengals (Covers 54.3%), OVER 47 (Covers 51.0%)
ATS Play Type: Light
O/U Play Type: Not Playable
The Vitals:
Projected Score: San Diego 21.1 - Cincinnati 26.5
SU Pick and Win%: Cincinnati wins 64.1%
Playoffs - Wildcard SU Confidence Rank: #1
ATS Pick and Win%: San Diego Chargers +7 covers 54.3%
Playoffs - Wildcard ATS Confidence Rank: #3
ATS Wager for $50 player: $20
O/U Pick and Win%: OVER (47) 51.0%
Playoffs - Wildcard O/U Confidence Rank: #4
O/U Wager for $50 Player: $0



The Teams:
SD
CIN


Straight-Up Record
9-7
11-5


Against-the-Spread Record
9-6
10-5


Over/Under Record
7-9
10-6


Avg. Points For vs. Against
24.8-21.8
26.9-19.1


Strength of Schedule Rank (of all NFL)
#4
#6


PM Passing Efficiency Rank
#2
#6


PM Rushing Efficiency Rank
#6
#8


PM Pass Defense Efficiency Rank
#8
#1


PM Rush Defense Efficiency Rank
#6
#3


Actual Pass/Run Ratio
54.2%/45.8%
#56.2%/43.8%


Turnover Margin
-3
+1



Injuries to Watch: Terence Newman, CB, Cincinnati Bengals - We have been talking about Newman in this spot for Bengals' games for three weeks, but this game may be where his knee injury causes the most problems for Cincinnati's pass defense. Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers have a top three passing offense in the league. Cincinnati has a top three pass defense. That matchup will be key to the Chargers keeping this game within a touchdown and any advantage they can exploit could swing the pick further in San Diego's favor.
Anticipated Line Movement: We have seen this spread at Cincinnati -6.5, -7 and -7.5. Getting San Diego +7.5 would be ideal, but it appears as though the line is settling in at Chargers +7. With weather (potentially two inches of snow overnight on Saturday), health and a general distrust of the Bengals (particularly quarterback Andy Dalton who threw four interceptions last week) all factors in the public's take on this game, it seems more likely that this game closes at San Diego +6.5 than +7.5, so grab +7 now if it is available.
The Breakdown: Facing the worst pass and run defense in the playoffs, Cincinnati should continue its offensive dominance at home over San Diego this week. Whether the Chargers can keep the game within a touchdown will likely come down to the Chargers' ability to move the ball on the Bengals through the air. With winds not expected to be a factor and the Bengals hurting at every level on the defense right now, Rivers and the Chargers look to be able to hang with Cincinnati in a great offensive matchup.
Boxscore: Boxscore (http://www.predictionmachine.com/NFL-Cincinnati-Bengals-San-Diego-Chargers-01-05-2014)
KC @ IND (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#IND) NO @ PHI (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#PHI) SD @ CIN (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#CIN) SF @ GB (http://www.predictionmachine.com/Analysis/NFL-Picks-Playoffs-Wild-Card-2014#GB)
Sunday, January 5 at 4:40 PM ET:
San Francisco 49ers -2.5 @ Green Bay Packers (Covers 57.6%), OVER 48 (Covers 59.5%)
ATS Play Type: Normal
O/U Play Type: Normal
The Vitals:
Projected Score: San Francisco 30.2 - Green Bay 24.4
SU Pick and Win%: San Francisco wins 63.2%
Playoffs - Wildcard SU Confidence Rank: #2
ATS Pick and Win%: San Francisco 49ers -2.5 covers 57.6%
Playoffs - Wildcard ATS Confidence Rank: #1
ATS Wager for $50 player: $55
O/U Pick and Win%: OVER (48) 59.5%
Playoffs - Wildcard O/U Confidence Rank: #1
O/U Wager for $50 Player: $75



The Teams:
SF
GB


Straight-Up Record
12-4
8-7


Against-the-Spread Record
10-5
6-10


Over/Under Record
7-8
8-7


Avg. Points For vs. Against
25.4-17.0
26.1-26.8


Strength of Schedule Rank (of all NFL)
#1
#8


PM Passing Efficiency Rank
#3
#5


PM Rushing Efficiency Rank
#4
#3


PM Pass Defense Efficiency Rank
#2
#7


PM Rush Defense Efficiency Rank
#2
#7


Actual Pass/Run Ratio
47.5%/52.5%
#57.3%/42.7%


Turnover Margin
+12
-3



Injuries to Watch: Clay Matthews, OLB, Green Bay Packers - Matthews has already been ruled out of this game due to a broken thumb. The Packers had a tough enough time keeping Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers in check with Matthews on the field, especially on the outside at the second level where Matthews absence should be most obvious in this game. The Packers are also down their best cover corner from last season (Casey Hayward), their starting tight end (Jermichael Finley) and potentially a total of eight defensive players who entered the season as expected starters.
Anticipated Line Movement: The consensus spread on this game at Wednesday at 8 pm ET is San Francisco -2.5. Some books have it as -3 and several of the books at -2.5 have added juice to the 49ers. Squares and sharps are somewhat torn between backing a potentially dominant team in the 49ers that has had the Packers' number as of late or getting points with Aaron Rodgers at home. To the Predictalator, the 49ers edge is clear, but, hopefully, enough action supports the Packers as home dogs to keep this line from moving more in the 49ers favor across the board. Give 2.5 points with San Francisco if possible, but, since we have this as closer to a touchdown game than a field goal margin, -3 is not bad either.
The Breakdown: Very little of what the Green Bay Packers have done offensively without Aaron Rodgers this season matters in our numbers. This certainly helps Green Bay's chances to win the game in our analysis. However, there are two things working against the Packers: 1) Green Bay's defense is well below average and not getting better and 2) as much as Green Bay's expectations improve with Aaron Rodgers on the field, Colin Kaepernick's numbers in the passing game get better with a full complement of weapons on the field, most notably wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Quinton Patton, who missed most of the season with injuries. The 49ers played the toughest schedule of any Wild Card team, yet rank among the top ten in the entire league in ALL of our efficiency metrics. The only other team in the league that can say that is the Seattle Seahawks (there are not even any other teams above average in all of our efficiency metrics). Aaron Rodgers may make this game interesting and competitive, but the Packers' defense should ultimately give way to big day from the 49ers offense in a victory.

Play analyzer with current lines 50 dollar base unit




107
1/5
4:40 PM
Over
SF @ GB
45.5http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
63.4http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/arrow_up.png
$116
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


103
1/4
8:10 PM
Over
NO @ PHI
53.5http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
59.1
$71
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


107
1/5
4:40 PM
SF
SF @ GB
-2.5http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
57.6
$55
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


102
1/4
4:35 PM
IND
KC @ INDhttp://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/binoculars.png
1.5http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
54.4http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/pickSwitch.png
$21http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/AlertIcon-Tri.png
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


105
1/5
1:05 PM
SD
SD @ CIN
7http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
54.2
$19
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


105
1/5
1:05 PM
Over
SD @ CIN
45.5http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
53.4http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/arrow_up.png
$11
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


103
1/4
8:10 PM
NO
NO @ PHI
3http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
52.8http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/arrow_up.png
$4
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png


101
1/4
4:35 PM
Over
KC @ IND
46.5http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/halfDown.png
-110
-110
52.5
$1
http://static.PredictionMachine.com/Icons/calculator.png

[Can'tPickAWinner]

root hoops

millionaire mich st
inner circle k st
no limit smu

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Dave Essler

Saints/Eagles Under

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Dwayne Bryant

SATURDAY, January 4, 2014

College Basketball 2:00 PM ET
2 Units[552] GREEN BAY -9.5

NBA 7:05 PM ET
2 Units[504] INDIANA -11

NFL 8:10 PM ET
3 Units (MAX BET)NEW ORLEANS SAINTS +3

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Wayne Root


Pinnacle Opening round wild card game: Kansas City Chiefs

Also got these, (he sells at multiple sites)

no limit Chiefs
millionaire Saints
millionaire cfb Houston

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EXECUTIVE HOOPS

450 xavier
300 mich st
300 ole miss

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Goodfella

3* Saints/Eagles Under

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Wunderdog Sports Free Play

Game: Western Kentucky at Troy (1:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Western Kentucky -6.5 (-108) at 5Dimes

Troy has had a rough start, losing 8 of 13. Western Kentucky is a strong defensive team that has won five of the last seven. The Hilltoppers are 18-6 ATS against a team with a losing record, plus 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning percentage below .400. Troy struggles badly on offense, averaging 63.5 points per game (#325 in the nation) and shoots .404% (#322). Western Kentucky is 4-1 ATS against the Sun Belt and faces a Troy team that has dropped five of the last six by an average of 14 points. Take Western Kentucky.

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Teddy Covers
Colts

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Betting Line Moves

Boston College +1.5
Marquette Over 134

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PICK ADDICT

8:10pm EST:

2.6* NFL [104] Philadelphia Eagles -3

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Marco D'Angelo
Eagles

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vegas-runner | NFL Side Sat, 01/04/14 - 8:10 PM
triple-dime bet 103 NOS 3.5 (-120) 5dimes (http://affiliates.5dimes.com/tracking/Affiliate.asp?AffID=AF000189&mediaTypeID=220&AffUrlID=229) vs 104 PHI Analysis: *** NFL WILD CARD 3* LATE STEAM SET-UP ***

SAINTS +3.5 (-120)...BUY the 1/2 POINT at Reduced Vig

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Dominic Brando's Inner Circle from Tim Donaghy's Ref Picks site.

NHL is 26-7 on the season, won with the Blackhawks last night

NHL 1 Unit San Jose Sharks -115 at 3:00 afternoon game

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NFL Wild Card Weekend trends: Home teams hitting at just 49.2 percent
By MARC LAWRENCE

Don’t look now but the 2013 NFL season is in the rear view mirror and with it the start of the Wild Card playoff games starting this Saturday. Let’s take a look at some of the best, and worst, trends surrounding this weekend’s card.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Here’s a brief capsule of the teams and noteworthy trends:

Kansas City at Indianapolis (-2.5, 46.5)
Good: Chiefs coach Andy Reid 3-0 ATS away non-division playoff dog
Bad: Reid 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS last five games vs. the Colts
Ugly: Colts 0-3 SU and ATS last three playoff games

New Orleans at Philadelphia (-2.5, 53)
Good: Saints QB Drew Brees is 4-2 SU and ATS career vs. Philadelphia
Bad: Saints 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS away this season, averaged 17.8 PPG
Ugly: Saints 0-5 SU and ATS all-time away in NFL playoffs

San Diego at Cincinnati (-7, 47)
Good: Bengals 4-0 SU and ATS off a win in this series
Bad: Chargers 2-9 ATS vs. AFC North last five years
Ugly: Bengals 0-5 SU and ATS last five playoff games

San Francisco at Green Bay (48, +2.5)
Good: Jim Harbaugh is 3-0 SU and ATS vs. Green Bay
Bad: Mike McCarthy is 5-8 SU and ATS as a home dog
Ugly: Super Bowl losers are 0-5 SU and 0-4-1 ATS away Game One playoffs

Home Field Disadvantage

Home cooking used to be a solid handicapping edge during the playoffs. Not so anymore.

For the longest time backing home teams in the NFL postseason has been a solid-moneymaker, going 172-120-6 (55.1%) dating back to 1980.

Today, however, that would be a mistake as the success of home teams in the playoffs has dissolved quicker than Alka Seltzer in a cold glass of water on New Year’s morning.

A closer look finds home teams just 119-107-5 ATS (51.%) since the 1990 season and, even worse, 64-66-1 ATS (49.2%) since 2000. Thus, like the economy, NFL playoff hosts have fallen on hard times.

Division Downers

Wild Card road teams have a difficult time after dueling a division opponent in their season ending finale, going 21-43-1 ATS – including 1-7 ATS the last two years.

Send these highwaymen out as dogs of more than 3 points and the task worsens as they are 4-33 SU and 9-28 ATS.

Not a good sign for the Chargers this week.

ATS Diabetes

Like kids in a candy store, NFL Wild Card teams playing off huge regular season wins tend to crash-and-burn in these playoff openers.

Teams off a SU underdog win are just 11-25 SU and 13-22-1 ATS, including 3-15 SU and 4-14 ATS if the Over/Under total in today’s game is set at more than 41 points.

So long 49ers.

In a similar vein, teams suffer from more than a sugar rush In opening round playoff games if they managed to they beat the spread by 10 or points, going just 9-19-1 ATS when on the road during this round.

The Chiefs and the Saints could be up against it this weekend.

Stat of the Week

The straight-up winner in NFL opening round playoff games is 104-11-3 ATS since 1980.

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Sportsboss

Conn
BC
KST
Bradley

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Vegas Sports Informer
(3*) Take #518 Sacramento -5 over Charlotte (10:05 p.m., Saturday, January 4)

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Docs NHL
4* Carolina
5* nashville
3* columbus

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Vegas Runner

2*KC ML +2.5
2*KC over 46.5

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Where the action is: Saturday's Wild Card line moves

The NFL postseason kicks off with Wild Card Weekend. Saturday features a pair of matchups on the board with the Indianapolis Colts hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, while the New Orleans Saints must face the elements as they visit the Philadelphia Eagles.

We talk to Mike Perry, an oddsmaker with Sportsbook.ag, about the action on Saturday's games.

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts - Open: -1, Move: -2, Move: Pick

Some markets opened the Colts as slight 1-point home favorites while others reacted to the early movement and opened Indianapolis at -2.5. Sharps hit the Colts early on this week, but money has been coming in on the road team over the past 24 hours.

"Sharp play on Friday morning - on KC +2 - so moved them to +1," Perry told Covers. "Another sharp play on the Chiefs this morning, so the line has moved to a pick ‘em. Sixty percent of cash is on Indy."

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles - Open: -2.5, Move: -3

The Eagles opened as high as 3-point home favorites over the Saints, who have notoriously been two-faced away from New Orleans. There has been little-to-no movement on this line until recently, with sharps backing the home favorites earlier Saturday.

"This morning we got sharp play on Philly so moved game to -3," Perry said. "This was first line move of game. Fifty-two percent of cash backing the Eagles."

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Windycity Winners cbb 1/4

U Conn +2 1/2
Kansas St +6
Utah -7 1/2

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Indian Cowboy's Picks For College Basketball


3-Unit Play. #547. Take Michigan State -3 over Indiana (Saturday @ 2pm est).

Michigan State will be more than prepared for this contest.. Tim Izzo is back (not like he left for long). But this year he actually has a team that he can "over achieve" something with. This is a squad that is a classic Michigan State team. Defensively tough. It's what Coach Popovich would call "Nasty". This is a top 10 defensive team in the country, but something else to note, they are top 35 this year in total offense. Michigan State has only fallen to North Carolina this year and this team has beat other top 50 teams such as Texas by 14 on the road scoring 92 points winning 92-78. Look for this game to be similar to that contest. Michigan State will likely be involved in a high scoring affair on the road, have revenge from back to back losses to Indiana last year as the Hoosiers were the better team and took it to State, and look for State to not lose their second conference game of the season. This team beat Oklahoma by 11 points as well who is a top 70 team to boot. Oklahoma and Texas are mentioned because Indiana is a top 50 team as well and though this team comes off a loss to Illinois, they have struggled against top flight teams this year. Indiana lost to top 65 program Notre Dame by 7 points, lost to Syracuse on the road by 17 points who is a top 5 power ranking team, lost to UConn by 1 one earlier this year and to note, I don't have them beating a top 100 team this year yet. Indiana's biggest win this year in my book is Washington who is around a top 90-99 team. Now, this team has to face Michigan State at home who is looking for revenge and is as good as Syracuse. Look for State to be in a tight contest and then pull away in the second half as they get their feet wet and likely win this contest by about 8-11 points which is where we have it.

Indian Cowboy's Picks For NBA Basketball


3-Unit Play. #508. Take Chicago -4.5 over Atlanta (Saturday @ 8:05pm est).

Some teams just know how to play against certain teams. Such is the case with the Bulls against the Hawks. The Bulls are -4.5 favorites today and the public is siding with Atlanta slightly. Atlanta is a solid team and comes off a tough loss against the Warriors though they did cover the contest. Note that Chicago has covered against Atlanta the last 4 of 5 contests and with the Bulls finding their groove winning 5 of their last 7 covers and with Atlanta struggling against defensive teams (such as losing to the Magic on the road), look for Atlanta to struggle against the Bulls here on the road. For as good as Atlanta is, they are 6-10 on the road this year and the Hawks are 0-5 ATS when playing on 0 days rest, the favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings and Atlanta has typically struggled to play well in Chicago as they are 1-4 ATS on the road. Look for Chicago to continue to build off their win over Boston and Atlanta to be a bit hungover from losing to the Warriors at home - a game they very well should have won but coughed up near the end it seemed. The Bulls are favored and rightfully so as the Bulls likely win this contest by 8 to 10 points this evening.

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Las Vegas Pipeline
15* Colts
10* Eagles

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Dominic Brando plays for sat:

Kc chiefs +3
Philly m/l

Pitt m/l (won)
Fl st -2/-135
Youngstown st +11/-130
West va -3/-130
Ok st -4/-135
Col st +14/-130

San Jose (nhl) -115

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TMC Sports Advisors

Kansas City -1

Kansas City/ Indianapolis Over 46

Philadelphia -2.5

New Orleans/Philadelphia Over 54

Pacers -11

Clippers +9

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Tony Stoffo

Saints / Eagles Under 54

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Cleveland Insider

NBA
1* Clippers/Spurs under 205.5

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Brandon Lang

150 DIME
-MAX WAGER-
WINNER # 8 OF 10
Colts -2.5

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CHRIS JORDAN

300* Chiefs

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Andre Gomes Singles (NBA) Pacers OKC/Min UNDER Mia/Orl UNDER

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Rickie Robbins

GB +3

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Leiner

2000 philly -2,5

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Bryan Rosica

100 dimer Saints

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Goodfella
3* Saints/Eagles UNDER 54
3* KC ML
3* SF ML
2* Teaser Saints +10 KC Over 39.5

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DHayes2
NFL Wildcard Play
4* KC Chiefs-1.5

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Jorge Gonzalez
The CUBAN ASSASIAN

NFL PLAYOFFS 1st ROUND LOCK.

COLTS by 14

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Jimmy Moore

5* New Orleans +2.5

4* Indianapolis +2.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

River City Sharps

3 Units Florida St -3½

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ALLEN EASTMAN

2-Unit Play. Take #102 Indianapolis (-2.5) over Kansas City (4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)
The Colts just blew the Chiefs out in Kansas City! They should be a bigger favorite here. The
Colts have won their last two games by a blowout. And they have done great against small
spreads like this over the last two years. Andrew Luck just finds ways to win games. He is going
to be great on his home turf in this one and Andy Reid is going to continue to struggle in the
playoffs like he did in Philadelphia. The Chiefs are just glad to be in the playoffs after their big
turnaround. But Indianapolis has made the playoffs in back-to-back years and they will fare better
this year than they did last year when they lost a tough game on the road at Baltimore. Take the
home team here.
4-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 53.5 - New Orleans at Philadelphia (8 p.m., Saturday, Jan 4)
AND

3-Unit Play. Take #103 New Orleans (+2.5) over Philadelphia (8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)
The play on the Saints is from the NFL 411 System.
Not the total. Just the play on the Saints.
The Saints are the better team here. The oddsmakers think so and that is why the Eagles aren't
even a three point favorite at home in this one. Philadelphia was very fortunate to make it to the
playoffs. I thought Dallas had a great chance to win that game last Sunday before a late
interception. Philadelphia is just happy to be in the playoffs. They won the NFC East and they
have this game at home even though they have a worse record. But they have a weaker record
because they are a weaker team. Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense should score plenty
against this Eagles defense, which struggled against the pass. Nick Foles has had a really good
season. But he has been turning the ball over more lately. And he is still a young quarterback making his first postseason start.
He can't compare to what Brees has done in his career.
That experience is going to make the difference and the Saints are going to get the win in this one

[Can'tPickAWinner]

VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER
NFL WILDCARD PLAYOFFS
4 Unit Play. #102 Take Indianapolis -1 ½ over Kansas City (1:35p.m., Saturday, Jan 4 NBC)
I was excited to see this number drop as the Colts were a -2 ½ point favorite all week and
Thursday afternoon Chiefs money poured in. Kansas City has lost 5 out of their last 7 games and
in Week #16 in Arrowhead the Colts beat the Chiefs 23-7. Yes I know it's hard to beat a team
twice in one season but I'm picking Andrew Luck over Alex Smith in Indy. Kansas City hasn't
tasted a playoff win since the 93 AFC Divisional game and Saturday afternoon I don't see them
tasting the next round of the NFL Playoffs. Andrew Luck has a big home playoff game and boy
does picking him over RGIII look good right now. Kansas City is 0-5 ATS in their last 5-playoff
games and the Colts are 7-1 ATS in their last AFC 8 games. Kansas City is also 3-10 in their last
13 meetings against the Colts.

2 Unit Play. #104 Take Philadelphia -2 ½ over New Orleans (8:00p.m., Saturday, Jan 4 NBC)
Really torn on this game and since the Saints have struggled to score points on the road I give
the small edge to the red hot Philly Eagles (won 7 out of their last 8 games). New Orleans are 0-6
ATS in their last 6 road games and the Eagles are 7-2 ATS when playing on Saturday games. And
YES the Eagles are at home in the cold!!!!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ROBERT FERRINGO
NFL SELECTIONS
2-Unit Play. Take #101 Kansas City (+2.5) over Indianapolis (4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)
2-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 54.0 New Orleans at Philadelphia (8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BIG AL's 86.6% EAGLES/SAINTS WILD CARD ROUT!

Al McMordie looks to continue his AWESOME NFL season, as he was 73-52 in the regular season (after ranking #1 last season at The Sports Monitor). Today, in the Wild Card match between the Saints & Eagles, Al's STEPPING OUT with a SUPER PLAY backed by an 86.6% ATS Playoff System. Don't miss out on this ROUT!


EAGLES

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Syndicate

Bulls
Thunder/Twolves Over
Clippers/Spurs Over

Mississippi
Rice
Oklahoma/Texas Over
Indiana State
Drake

[Can'tPickAWinner]

LA Syndicate

Bucks/Suns Over
Bobcats/Kings Over

Oakland ML
BYU
St Mary's
Colorado St/New Mexico Over
Wyoming/Nevada Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Windycity Winners

Late RELEASES

Drake-3
St Marys -3
Gonzaga -14 1/2
Wis Mil -1