8-28-14

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::clap::

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Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day
Kansas City Royals -147 over Minnesota Twins


Rest of the Plays
Tampa Bay Rays +108 over Baltimore O's
Chicago Cubs -121 over Cincy Reds
Los Angeles Angels +105 over Oakland A's

Football Crusher

Play of the Day
Tulane +6.5 over Tulsa

Soccer Crusher

Gremio + Santos OVER 2
This match is happening in Brazil

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Latewinners


CFB Update




# 161 Appalachian State OVER
# 173 Marshall UNDER
# 187 West Michigan OVER
# 185 Louisiana Tech OVER


# 163 Troy
# 163 Troy OVER
# 161 Appalachian State
# 165 California
# 175 Rice
# 141 Temple
# 165 California UNDER
# 149 Colorado State UNDER
# 147 Bowling Green OVER
# 195 Washington University
# 183 Ohio UNDER
# 190 Florida
# 171 Boston College
# 200 Texas
# 167 Georgia Southern
# 136 UL Monroe
# 192 USC -21.5 # 201 UTEP UNDER 67
# 181 Clemson UNDER 56.5


# 151 Texas San Antonio UNDER
# 179 Arkasas
# 192 USC -21.5# 201 UTEP UNDER 67
# 181 Clemson UNDER 56.5


# 151 Texas San Antonio UNDER






CFB 8.30
# 199 North Texas UNDER




CFB 8.29
# 145 BYU OVER

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Spatan

Triple Dime Mississippi -10

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EAGLE EYE SPORTS----RANDY ROSE
Your Pick: Tulsa -6.5 (-110)
Your Pick: Mississippi -9.5 (-110)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ESSLER

3* ul Monroe

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS NCAACF REPORT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th 2014
INFORMATION WORTH BETTING ON EACH DAY
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***** NCAA College Football Week #1 Information *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every week during the 2014 NCAA College Football season we will analyze all of your daily football action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of StatSystems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
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NCAA College Football News and Notes - Week #1
•Nick Saban is not ready to make a call at starting quarterback and lists Blake Sims and transfer Jacob Coker as co-starters for Saturday's season opener against West Virginia. Coker, a transfer from Florida State who arrived on campus in the spring, is a big pocket passer with very good arm strength. He was presumed the starter, but Sims has more time in the offense and his comfort level was evident in fall camp. Coker (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) was Jameis Winston's backup at Florida State. He is a pro-style quarterback akin to AJ McCarron, whereas Sims was used mostly in a read-option niche role. "Whatever pitcher starts the game isn't necessarily going to pitch nine innings," Saban said on Monday. A determination on the starter might not come until game day.

•Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller will have season-ending shoulder surgery on Tuesday, coach Urban Meyer announced. Miller, who is right-handed, tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder last week. Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery. Miller has been a standout athletic quarterback for the Buckeyes when healthy. Last season as a junior, he threw for 2,094 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games. He also ran for 1,068 yards with 12 TDs. It was his second straight season rushing for at least 1,000 yards. Ohio State opens the season Saturday against Navy in Baltimore. J.T. Barrett, a redshirt freshman who has not taken a snap in college, will start in place of Miller.

•Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker is sidelined for six to eight weeks with a broken bone in his left foot, coach Bobby Petrino announced. Parker, a senior, was scheduled to have surgery on Monday. The earliest Parker could return is Oct. 11 against Clemson. Parker was injured during practice Friday night. He traveled to Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday to be examined by Dr. Robert Anderson, who specializes in foot and ankle injuries.

NCAACF Opening Line Report - Week #1
College football is finally going to have a playoff this year – sort of, with four teams getting a shot at the National Title come season’s end. A few teams that expect to be in the mix will get things rolling when the 2014 campaign kicks off this week, led by Thursday night’s clash between #21 Texas A&M and #9 South Carolina. The host Gamecocks opened as 12-point chalk one month ago, with the number now at 10.5 as Aggies bettors have moved the needle a little bit, despite losing star quarterback Johnny Manziel to the National Football League.

But South Point oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro says his place hasn’t seen any line shift. “We painted the game at -11 and have never moved off of it,” Vaccaro said. “This is a great way to start off the season, with two name-recognition teams. But there’s been nothing to make us move the line either way.”

•Clemson @ Georgia (-7.5)
This border battle was also the season opener for both teams last year, with Clemson winning a shootout 38-35 as a 1.5-point home underdog. The Bulldogs are ranked 12th in the preseason, and the Tigers enter Saturday’s game at No. 16. Vaccaro said the South Point opened the game at Georgia -8.5, but a $2,000 bet on Clemson tightened it a notch to 8.

“In a game like this, there will be plenty of support for both sides – both are marquee teams,” he said. “I feel like there’s a buzz with Georgia, with (coach) Mark Richt in a make-or-break season. It’s the right number, right where it should be.”

•Florida State (-17.5) Vs. Oklahoma State
Defending national champion Florida State is coming off a spot-less 14-0 season, and with Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston back at quarterback, the Seminoles are a consensus #1 in the preseason polls. The game is (8:00 PM EST) Saturday night at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. “We have the game at -18. It’s all small stuff. If the number goes up any higher, the smarts will get on Oklahoma State,” Vaccaro said, noting he indeed expects the number to jump.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the game went to -20.” Despite the Cowboys playing not too far from home? “I’ll bet a ham sandwich that there are as many Florida State fans in the stadium as Oklahoma State fans,” Vaccaro said.

•Wisconsin Vs. Louisiana State (-4)
It’s another neutral-site game, with both squads traveling to Houston’s NRG Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Texans. And it’s another top-25 battle, with LSU ranked 13th and Wisconsin 14th. “There’s not that much play on the game yet,” Vaccaro said. “Once again, it’s a great matchup, and it will draw plenty of attention, with a great time slot (9:00 PM EST). I’m gonna guess it closes at LSU -3.5. There will be plenty of Wisconsin money on game day.”

•Ohio State (-14) @ Navy
Ohio State opened as 19-point favorites for this quasi-neutral-site game, at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium. But that was before the Buckeyes lost superstar QB Braxton Miller for the entire season due to a shoulder injury. “We opened at 17.5, went to 18, saw the injury report and went back to 12.5, and now we’re back to 14,” Vaccaro said. “I don’t know where this one’s going. If it goes up anymore, then you’re saying Miller is only worth 2 to 3 points. I would consider him worth more than that.”

NCAAF Line Watch - Week #1
Each and every week during the 2014-15 College Football season, StatSystems Sports Vegas Insider Ryan Taylor looks at the NCAAF odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out. Note: Odds courtesy of LVH Superbook in Las Vegas.

Spread To Bet Now

•Fresno State vs. USC (-21, Total: 58)
Southern Cal opened as 22-point home favorites, but the line has come down to a favorable number to back the Trojans. These two teams closed last season by playing in the Las Vegas Bowl and USC cruised to a 45-20 win. Fresno State lost QB Derek Carr to graduation along with five other offensive starters. With their best team in over a decade (11-2), the Bulldogs were no match for the Trojans.

USC has a new head coach in Steve Sarkisian, and reports out of Los Angeles say the team is focused and motivated for the upcoming season. The Trojans have a wealth of talent on hand, and their defense will be outstanding. This is a big statement game for the Trojans, and it comes against a team they simply dominate at every position. Lay the three touchdowns now before the sharp bettors take out the good number.

Spread To Wait On

•Arkansas (+20.5, Total: 57.5) @ Auburn
Auburn is currently a 20.5-point home favorite over Arkansas, but this line is likely to go higher as we get closer to kickoff. Public bettors often remember what they last saw, and that was Auburn a minute away from winning the National Championship last season.

Arkansas slogged through a miserable 3-9 season last year; the Razorbacks were 0-8 in SEC play, including a 35-17 home loss to Auburn. But in their second year under head coach Bret Bielema, Arkansas will be a much improved team. We expect this line to reach the important number of 21, and at that price and preferably with another half point, we suggest taking Arkansas in this game.

Total To Watch

•Clemson @ Georgia (-7.5, Total: 57.5)
This total opened at 58, and early money has come in on the Under. Clemson has to replace a lot of their potent offense of a season ago (40.4 points per game), and they will be starting an inexperienced QB under center. Clemson’s defense returns seven starters from a unit that only gave up 22.2 points per game in 2013.

Georgia’s offense is also an unknown commodity, and that unit has been fighting nagging injuries during camp. The Bulldogs’ defense has the potential to be one of the best in the country, and they should limit Clemson’s production in this game. This total is quite high considering the makeup of both teams, and it will likely continue to drop as we get closer to game day.

Easiest And Hardest Opening Schedules
One of the most discussed aspects of NCAA College Football is scheduling and, more specifically, how a teams' schedule can have a great impact on their season. StatSystems Sports Systems Analyst William Stillman take a look at some teams that will take it easy at the beginning of the season and some that will jump right into it...

Easiest Schedules

•Arizona State Sun Devils
Opponents: Weber State, at New Mexico, at Colorado

The Sun Devils' opponents combined to go 9-27 last season. The game to watch from a betting perspective is the Colorado game because the Buffs will be better than last year and ASU may be looking forward to their next opponent, UCLA.

•Mississippi State Bulldogs
Opponents: Southern Miss, UAB, at South Alabama

These teams also combined to go 9-27 with Southern Miss and UAB splitting just three wins between them. The game to watch is South Alabama because it's on the road and the Jaguars tend to play their opponents close, only losing one game by double digits in 2013.

•Duke Blue Devils
Opponents: vs. Elon, at Troy, vs. Kansas

With this opening schedule, the loss of offensive coordinator Kurt Roper will be minimized as his replacement will have time to ease into position. Keep an eye on the Troy game as they played the Blue Devils close in 2013, only losing by seven in Durham.

Hardest Schedules

•Clemson Tigers
Opponents: at Georgia, South Carolina State, at FSU

Even though there is a cupcake stuck in the middle, it doesn't get much tougher than this. Florida State has won the last three games in this series in Tallahassee against Clemson. Georgia will be looking to return the favor from last year when the Tigers won by three in Death Valley. From a betting perspective, remember that Georgia is 2-7-2 ATS in it's last 11 games and both Clemson and Georgia have a recent history of going over on points.

•Georgia Bulldogs
Opponents: vs. Clemson, at South Carolina, vs. Troy

The opener against Clemson will have a potential impact on the college football playoff and the last two times Georgia traveled to Columbia to play South Carolina they came up short. One thing to keep in mind is that Georgia gets a week off after the Clemson game while the Gamecocks will host East Carolina.

•South Carolina Gamecocks
Opponents: vs. Texas A&M, vs. East Carolina, vs. Georgia

One thing Carolina's first three opponents have in common is that they can score points in a hurry and that will be something to watch with the Gamecocks losing Connor Shaw this year. Another thing to watch is the East Carolina matchup as it's a classic trap game stuffed in between two conference encounters with one of those being a rivalry game. Don't forget that the Pirates beat two ACC teams last year and only lost to Virginia Tech by five.
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#133 TEXAS A&M @ #134 S CAROLINA
TV: 6:00 PM EST, SEC Network
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Total: 58

The post-Johnny Manziel era is set to get underway for No. 20 Texas A&M, which faces a brutal season-opening test at South Eastern Conference rival and ninth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday night. Even though the Aggies must replace the former Heisman Trophy winner, many will argue that the Gamecocks endured an even bigger loss than Manziel with the departure of all-world defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the top overall pick in the National Football League draft. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools.

South Carolina, which never has won an SEC championship, is coming off three consecutive 11-win seasons under legendary head coach Steve Spurrier and was the preseason choice to win the East Division. Texas A&M was expected to struggle upon moving from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012 but, buoyed by the wondrous talents of Manziel, the Aggies went 20-6 in their first two seasons and capped each with a bowl victory. Sophomore Kenny Hill will be in the spotlight after narrowly beating out Kyle Allen as Manziel's successor.

•ABOUT TEXAS A&M (2013: 9-4, 4-4 SEC): The Aggies led the SEC in scoring (44.2 ppg) and total offense (538.4 yards) for the second straight season, so the onus will be on Hill, who played sparingly as a freshman and threw for 183 yards on 16-of-22 over parts of four games. Senior Malcome Kennedy is the top returnee at wide receiver, but Ricky Seals-Jones and explosive freshman Speedy Noil are elite talents and will be counted on to replace NFL first-round pick Mike Evans, while Trey Williams, Tra Carson and Brandon Williams head a deep running back corps. Cornerback Deshazor Everett leads a defense that was singed for 151 points over the final four games last season and will hope for immediately production from freshman defensive end Myles Garrett, among the nation's top recruits.

•ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (2013: 11-2, 6-2 SEC): The Gamecocks also have a change under center, with longtime backup Dylan Thompson poised to take the reins after backing up Connor Shaw the past three seasons. Although fifth-year senior Thompson is more of a pure passer compared to dual-threat Shaw, South Carolina is expected to rely heavily on a ground game featuring Mike Davis, a preseason first-team SEC selection who rumbled for 1,183 yards last season and will be running behind one of the top offensive lines in the conference. While replacing Clowney will be impossible, the Gamecocks also suffered other key losses on the defensive side and will need big seasons from nose tackle J.T. Surratt, cornerback Brison Williams and freshman linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams.

•PREGAME NOTES: South Carolina and Alabama are the only South Eastern Conference programs to limit opponents to fewer than 21 points per game in each of the last three seasons.... Texas A&M is 10-2 away from home under coach Kevin Sumlin the past two seasons.... Davis has been bothered by a rib injury, but Spurrier expects him to be at "full speed" for the opener.

•KEY STATS
--TEXAS A&M is 12-30 ATS (-21.0 Units) as a road underdog since 1992.
The average score was TEXAS A&M 19.9, OPPONENT 37.0.

--TEXAS A&M is 14-31 ATS (-20.1 Units) in road games in the first half of the season since 1992.
The average score was TEXAS A&M 26.8, OPPONENT 25.9.

--S CAROLINA is 12-2 UNDER (+9.8 Units) the 1rst half total when playing on a Thursday since 1992.
The average score was S CAROLINA 10.2, OPPONENT 7.0.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992. Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TAM is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.
--TAM is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games in August.
--TAM is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.

--SOCAR is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
--SOCAR is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--Under is 4-0 in SOCAR last 4 games in August.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 6 times, while the favorite covered the spread 5 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 8 times, while the underdog won straight up 3 times. 13 games went over the total, while 0 games went under the total. *Edge against the total =OVER.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 5 times, while the underdog covered first half line 4 times. *No EDGE. 8 games went over first half total, while 5 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.
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#135 WAKE FOREST @ #136 LA MONROE
TV: 7:02 PM EST, ESPNU, ESPN3
Line: Wake Forest -1, Total: 45.5

Dave Clawson's most recent rebuilding project gets underway Thursday evening, when Wake Forest travels to Louisiana-Monroe with hopes of avenging last season's two-point loss. Clawson has turned around programs at Fordham, Richmond and Bowling Green, but he has his work cut out for him at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons lost six offensive starters and three All-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive players from last year's four-win team and have a tough opener on the road against a dangerous small-conference opponent.

Louisiana-Monroe was able to shut down the Demon Deacons' ground game in last year's 21-19 win in Winston-Salem, N.C. John Wolford takes the reins of the offense from four-year starter Tanner Price and will be the first true freshman to start his first game at Wake Forest since Mike McGlamry in 1974. The Warhawks also have a new signal-caller, with North Carolina State transfer Pete Thomas taking over for Kolton Browning.

•ABOUT WAKE FOREST (2013: 4-8): The Demon Deacons lost all of their top offensive players from a team that averaged a meager 18.3 points a year ago. Wolford won the starting quarterback job in the preseason and brings high expectations after breaking a litany of state records as a high school star in Jacksonville, Fla. The defense has a better foundation anchored by a strong secondary but will need the inexperienced offense to keep it off the field more than it was last year.

•ABOUT LOUISIANA-MONROE (2013: 6-6): Thomas, who played two seasons at Colorado State before transferring to N.C. State, has passed for 5,936 yards in three years as a starter at the two previous stops. He's a good fit for Todd Berry's spread attack and has the Warhawks' leading receiver back in Rashon Ceaser (65 receptions, 964 yards, five TDs). The defense returns nine starters from a unit that improved as the season went on, but the two losses were big ones - leading tackler Cameron Blakes and safety Isaiah Newsome, who returned two of his team-high four interceptions for touchdowns.

•PREGAME NOTES: Thomas faced the Demon Deacons last season with N.C. State, completing 27-of-43 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown in a 28-13 Wolfpack loss.... The Warhawks are opening at home for the first time since 2007 and have won their home opener five of the last six years.... Wake Forest RB Dominique Gibson, the team's top returning rusher, is suspended for the first three games for violating team rules.

•KEY STATS
--WAKE FOREST is 31-15 UNDER (+14.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.
The average score was WAKE FOREST 25.1, OPPONENT 21.2.

--LA MONROE is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.
The average score was LA MONROE 16.6, OPPONENT 35.6.

•COACHING TRENDS
--DAVE CLAWSON is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in the first two weeks of the season in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was CLAWSON 27.3, OPPONENT 20.2.

--TODD BERRY is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games in non-conference games in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was BERRY 26.3, OPPONENT 33.3.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--LA MONROE is 1-0 against the spread versus WAKE FOREST since 1992.
--LA MONROE is 1-0 straight up against WAKE FOREST since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992.

--LA MONROE is 1-0 versus the first half line when playing against WAKE FOREST since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1992.

•RECENT TRENDS
--WAKE is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
--Under is 8-2 in WAKE last 10 road games.
--Under is 21-7 in WAKE last 28 games overall.

--ULM is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
--ULM is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in August.
--ULM is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 29 times, while the underdog covered the spread 19 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 35 times, while the underdog won straight up 17 times. 43 games went under the total, while 30 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 26 times, while the underdog covered first half line 26 times. *No EDGE. 43 games went under first half total, while 29 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.
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#137 TULANE @ #138 TULSA
TV: 8:00 PM EST, CBS Sports Network
Line: Tulsa -6.5, Total: 47

Tulsa will host a familiar foe in a new conference when Tulane visits Thursday night in their American Athletic Conference debuts. The Green Wave beat the Golden Hurricane 14-7 last year in a Conference USA matchup, snapping an eight-game losing streak to Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are looking for a clean slate in the AAC after following their 2012 Conference USA championship with a disappointing season.

"Looking back on it, I clearly see we were kind of living off (the success of 2012), assuming we would just pick up where we left off," fourth-year coach Bill Blankenship told the Tulsa World. "This season feels way different. Partly because I think we're a lot more on edge. We're not assuming anything." Tulsa has lots of key players returning, including sophomore quarterback Dane Evans, while Tulane redshirt freshman quarterback Tanner Lee starts his first collegiate game. The young quarterbacks will face experienced secondary’s, led by Tulane's Lorenzo Doss and Tulsa's Michael Mudoh.

•ABOUT TULANE (2013: 7-6): "(Lee has) got a strong arm, command of our offense, great leadership skills and doesn't make many mistakes," third-year coach Curtis Johnson said of Lee, who beat out senior Nick Montana (53.4 completion percentage, 1,717 yards and 14 touchdowns in 11 starts last year) for the starting job. Redshirt freshman Sherman Badie and sophomore Lazedrick Thompson will try to replace the production of workhorse Orleans Darkwa (863 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns) while senior Justyn Shackleford (36 catches, 419 yards, five TDs) is the leading returning receiver after the departure of fifth-round draft pick Ryan Grant (1,039 yards, nine TDs). Doss, who returned two of his seven interceptions for touchdowns last year, and safety Sam Scofield (team-high 104 tackles) return to a defense that was tied for second in the country with 35 takeaways.

•ABOUT TULSA (2013: 3-9): Evans played in eight games and started five, completing 84-of-195 passes for 898 yards and four touchdowns for the Golden Hurricane, who open at home for the first time since 2006. The return of junior receiver Keyarris Garrett, who led Tulsa with 67 catches, 845 yards and nine touchdowns in 2012 before a season-ending leg injury in the second game of 2013, will bolster an offense that has to replace two 2,000-yard rushers. The Tulsa defense lost Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year Shawn Jackson but has nine starters back plus the return of senior safety Demarco Nelson (who sat out 2013 for academic reasons) and sophomore linebacker Trent Martin (who missed seven games with a knee injury).

•PREGAME NOTES: Mudoh, a junior safety, was tied for fourth nationally with 11.1 tackles per game last year.... Tulane sophomore LB Nico Marley, who earned Conference USA co-freshman of the year honors after recording 67 tackles during the 2013 season, is the grandson of music legend Bob Marley.... Tulsa allowed 198.9 rushing yards last year while Tulane ran for just 126.8 yards (ranked 101st out of 123 teams).

•KEY STATS
--TULSA is 2-10 against the 1rst half line (-9.0 Units) versus the first half line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was TULSA 9.8, OPPONENT 17.3.

--TULSA is 0-6 against the 1rst half line (-6.6 Units) versus the 1rst half line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was TULSA 10.3, OPPONENT 22.3.

•COACHING TRENDS
--CURTIS JOHNSON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points as the coach of TULANE.
The average score was TULANE 28.2, OPPONENT 27.3.

--CURTIS JOHNSON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) against conference opponents as the coach of TULANE.
The average score was TULANE 25.1, OPPONENT 27.1.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--TULSA is 8-1 against the spread versus TULANE since 1992.
--TULSA is 8-1 straight up against TULANE since 1992.
--7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992.

--TULSA is 7-2 versus the first half line when playing against TULANE since 1992.
--5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1992.

--Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
--Favorite is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 meetings.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TULN is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
--Under is 4-1 in TULN last 5 road games.
--Under is 3-0-1 in TULN last 4 games overall.

--TLSA 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
--Over is 5-1 in TLSA last 6 home games.
--Under is 2-0-2 in TLSA last 4 games in August.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 44 times, while the underdog covered the spread 44 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 69 times, while the underdog won straight up 23 times. 63 games went under the total, while 20 games went over the total. *EDGE against the total =UNDER.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 46 times, while the underdog covered first half line 40 times. *No EDGE. 58 games went under first half total, while 24 games went over first half total. *Edge against first half total =UNDER.
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#139 OLE MISS vs. #140 BOISE ST
TV: 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
Line: Ole Miss -10.5, Total: 54

Mississippi looks to build on an eight-win campaign when it opens the season Thursday night against Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Atlanta. The No. 19 Rebels have hopes of being a surprise contender in the South Eastern Conference West, the loaded division that includes Alabama, Auburn and LSU. The Broncos are playing their first game under new head coach Bryan Harsin, who took over after highly successful Chris Peterson left to become Washington’s coach.

Harsin was Boise State’s offensive coordinator from 2006-10 and returned to his hometown of Boise after one season as Arkansas State’s coach. Coincidentally, third-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze also served a one-season stint (2011) at Arkansas State before landing the Rebels’ gig. The Broncos have won more games (155) than any other school since the beginning of the 2000 season, but last season’s win total of eight was their lowest since 2001.

•ABOUT BOISE STATE (2013: 8-5): Senior quarterback Grant Hedrick isn’t a polished thrower but did have 16 touchdowns passes last season against only five interceptions while also being productive on the ground (277 yards, six TDs). Junior running back Jay Ajayi, who rushed for 1,425 yards and 18 touchdowns, is a powerful physical specimen with an NFL future while senior wideout Matt Miller (88 receptions for 1,140 yards, 12 TDs) is the top target. Defensively, the Broncos are led by junior cornerback Donte Deayon (six interceptions) and sophomore linebacker Ben Weaver (89 tackles).

•ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (2013: 8-5): Senior quarterback Bo Wallace is coming off a season in which he passed for 3,346 yards and 18 touchdowns but has been prone to turnovers and questionable decision-making during his career. Sophomore receiver Laquon Treadwell caught 72 passes last season but averaged just 8.4 yards per catch while juniors I’Tavius Mathers (563 yards) and Jaylen Walton (523) will split the ball-carrying duties. Defensively, the Rebels are led by sophomore defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (eight tackles for loss), senior free safety Cody Prewitt (six interceptions) and sophomore safety Tony Conner (66 tackles).

•PREGAME NOTES: Boise State isn’t ranked to start a season for the first time since 2008.... Ole Miss, which has won five consecutive non-conference games, has never previously faced the Broncos.... Rebels WR Sammie Epps was suspended after getting arrested for possession of marijuana earlier this month.

•KEY STATS
--OLE MISS is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was OLE MISS 35.9, OPPONENT 24.6.

--BOISE ST is 119-68 against the 1rst half line (+44.2 Units) versus the first half line in all games since 1992.
The average score was BOISE ST 21.7, OPPONENT 9.8.

•COACHING TRENDS
--HUGH FREEZE is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in non-conference games in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was Freeze 36.9, OPPONENT 21.0.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992: Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--MISS is 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
--Under is 4-1 in MISS last 5 Thursday games.
--Over is 9-3 in MISS last 12 games on fieldturf.

--BSU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--BSU is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.
--Under is 4-1 in BSU last 5 games on fieldturf.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 63 times, while the favorite covered the spread 28 times. *EDGE against the spread =BOISE ST. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 60 times, while the underdog won straight up 32 times. 50 games went under the total, while 39 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 57 times, while the favorite covered first half line 33 times. *No EDGE. 44 games went over first half total, while 42 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.
________________________________________________

#139 OLE MISS vs. #140 BOISE ST
TV: 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
Line: Ole Miss -10.5, Total: 54

Mississippi looks to build on an eight-win campaign when it opens the season Thursday against Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Atlanta. The No. 19 Rebels have hopes of being a surprise contender in the SEC West, the loaded division that includes Alabama, Auburn and LSU. The Broncos are playing their first game under new coach Bryan Harsin, who took over after highly successful Chris Peterson left to become Washington’s coach.

Harsin was Boise State’s offensive coordinator from 2006-10 and returned to his hometown of Boise after one season as Arkansas State’s coach. Coincidentally, third-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze also served a one-season stint (2011) at Arkansas State before landing the Rebels’ gig. The Broncos have won more games (155) than any other school since the beginning of the 2000 season, but last season’s win total of eight was their lowest since 2001.

•ABOUT BOISE STATE (2013: 8-5): Senior quarterback Grant Hedrick isn’t a polished thrower but did have 16 touchdowns passes last season against only five interceptions while also being productive on the ground (277 yards, six TDs). Junior running back Jay Ajayi, who rushed for 1,425 yards and 18 touchdowns, is a powerful physical specimen with an NFL future while senior wideout Matt Miller (88 receptions for 1,140 yards, 12 TDs) is the top target. Defensively, the Broncos are led by junior cornerback Donte Deayon (six interceptions) and sophomore linebacker Ben Weaver (89 tackles).

•ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (2013: 8-5): Senior quarterback Bo Wallace is coming off a season in which he passed for 3,346 yards and 18 touchdowns but has been prone to turnovers and questionable decision-making during his career. Sophomore receiver Laquon Treadwell caught 72 passes last season but averaged just 8.4 yards per catch while juniors I’Tavius Mathers (563 yards) and Jaylen Walton (523) will split the ball-carrying duties. Defensively, the Rebels are led by sophomore defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (eight tackles for loss), senior free safety Cody Prewitt (six interceptions) and sophomore safety Tony Conner (66 tackles).

•PREGAME NOTES: Boise State isn’t ranked to start a season for the first time since 2008.... Ole Miss, which has won five consecutive non-conference games, has never previously faced the Broncos.... Rebels WR Sammie Epps was suspended after getting arrested for possession of marijuana earlier this month.

•KEY STATS
--OLE MISS is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was OLE MISS 35.9, OPPONENT 24.6.

--BOISE ST is 119-68 against the 1rst half line (+44.2 Units) versus the first half line in all games since 1992.
The average score was BOISE ST 21.7, OPPONENT 9.8.

•COACHING TRENDS
--HUGH FREEZE is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in non-conference games in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was Freeze 36.9, OPPONENT 21.0.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992: Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--MISS is 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
--Under is 4-1 in MISS last 5 Thursday games.
--Over is 9-3 in MISS last 12 games on fieldturf.

--BSU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--BSU is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.
--Under is 4-1 in BSU last 5 games on fieldturf.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 63 times, while the favorite covered the spread 28 times. *EDGE against the spread =BOISE ST. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 60 times, while the underdog won straight up 32 times. 50 games went under the total, while 39 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 57 times, while the favorite covered first half line 33 times. *No EDGE. 44 games went over first half total, while 42 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.
_________________________________

#141 TEMPLE @ #142 VANDERBILT
TV: 9:15 PM EST, SEC Network
Line: Vanderbilt -14, Total: 52

Vanderbilt looks to extend its bowl streak to four years while rebuilding under former Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who takes over the helm from James Franklin. The Commodores must replace more than half their starters as they begin that quest against visiting Temple on Thursday evening after ending 2013 with five straight victories. Patton Robinette won a three-way competition for the Vanderbilt quarterback job and Temple counters with promising sophomore P.J. Walker under center.

Robinette came off the bench to help Vanderbilt beat Georgia and was the starter when the Commodores won at Florida for the first time in 68 years last season. "(Robinette) has really made strides and consistently improved from spring to now," Mason told reporters. Coach Matt Rhule begins his second season at Temple and expects progress from Walker, who threw 20 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in the last eight contests of 2013 while helping the Owls win their only two games.

•ABOUT TEMPLE (2013: 2-10): Walker (2,084 passing yards) should get solid support from a deep group of running backs, led by Kenneth Harper (613 rushing yards, nine TDs in 2013) and Zaire Williams (533 yards). However, an inexperienced offensive line will have to improve from last year when it allowed 32 sacks. Junior linebacker Tyler Matakevich keys the defense for the Owls after leading the nation in solo tackles per game (8.8) and being named first team All-American Athletic Conference.

•ABOUT VANDERBILT (2013: 9-4): Robinette threw four TD passes and five interceptions in 88 pass attempts last season for Franklin, who took over as Penn State’s new coach in the offseason. Juniors Jerron Seymour (716 rushing yards, 14 TDs) and Brian Kimbrow (341, three) provide experience in the backfield and sophomore Jordan Cunningham is poised to emerge as a big-time receiving target after Jordan Matthews left for the NFL. Mason will transition to a 3-4 base defense with only three returning starters.

•PREGAME NOTES: The Commodores have won nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program’s history.... Temple dropped a 43-14 decision at Vanderbilt in their last meeting in 2006.... Vanderbilt P Taylor Hudson was picked third team preseason All-SEC after averaging 42.9 yards in 2013.

•KEY STATS
--TEMPLE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was TEMPLE 25.0, OPPONENT 30.4.

--VANDERBILT is 16-2 UNDER (+13.8 Units) the 1rst half total in the first two weeks of the season since 1992.
The average score was VANDERBILT 9.5, OPPONENT 10.3.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--TEMPLE is 1-0 against the spread versus VANDERBILT since 1992.
--VANDERBILT is 1-0 straight up against TEMPLE since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992.

--TEMPLE is 1-0 versus the first half line when playing against VANDERBILT since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1992.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TEM is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
--TEM is 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games in August.
--Under is 4-1 in TEM last 5 games in August.

--VAN is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--VAN is 15-7 ATS in their last 22 home games.
--Over is 6-2 in VAN last 8 non-conference games.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 31 times, while the favorite covered the spread 18 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 44 times, while the underdog won straight up 5 times. 45 games went over the total, while 42 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 27 times, while the favorite covered first half line 20 times. *No EDGE. 42 games went under first half total, while 41 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.
_______________________________________________

#143 RUTGERS vs. #144 WASHINGTON ST
TV: 10:00 PM EST, Fox Sports 1
Line: Washington St. -8, Total: 62

Rutgers makes its Big Ten Conference debut Thursday night when it meets Washington State for the first time - at Century Link Field in Seattle. The Scarlet Knights, who were picked to finish last in the seven-team East Division by Big Ten writers, enter a conference known for its physical play but head coach Kyle Flood said they are up to the challenge. "We've played physical offenses before, we've played bigger teams before," Flood told reporters. "We've never built our team to be the biggest team. It's not philosophically how we go about things. But when we've played at a high level, we've been able to compete with anybody in the country."

The Cougars, who were selected to finish fifth in the Pac-12's six-team North Division, should have no trouble scoring with record-setting quarterback Connor Halliday calling the signals, but stopping the opponent is another story. Washington State, which yielded 458 yards per game in 2013 - 102nd among the 123 FBS teams - returns its entire defensive line but must replace three starters in the secondary. One way to help the defense is to develop a running game, which was last in the nation at 53.4 yards per game last season - but the emergence of freshman Gerard Wicks and Jamal Morrow could also help take some pressure off Halliday.

•ABOUT RUTGERS (2013: 6-7): The Scarlet Knights will need a strong running game and junior Paul James (881 yards, 5.6 per carry, nine touchdowns) returns to carry the load. Ralph Friedgen, who coached Maryland from 2001-10 but has been unemployed for three years, was hired as offensive coordinator and is expected to help develop quarterback Gary Nova. The 6-2, 220-pound senior completed 54.5 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season.

•ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (2013: 6-7): Halliday, a 6-4, 210-pound senior from Spokane, Wash., passed for a school-record 4,597 yards in 2013 - second-most in Pac-12 history. Halliday also set school standards for completions (449) and attempts (714), and equaled the school record with 34 touchdown passes. Halliday, who threw 22 interceptions last season, welcomes a stronger running presence, telling the Spokesman-Review: "It’s huge. You’re not throwing into windows that are that small and the defensive line can’t pin their ears back and come upfield because if they do that we’ll hit them inside with a trap and get it right up the middle.”

•PREGAME NOTES: The Cougars return their top eight receivers including junior Gabe Marks, who hauled in a team-high 74 passes (10.9 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns.... Rutgers has won four of its last five season openers, with its blemish a 52-51 overtime setback at Fresno State last season.... Century Link Field, home of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, is nearly 300 miles from Washington State's campus in Pullman.

•KEY STATS
--RUTGERS is 32-14 UNDER (+16.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.
The average score was RUTGERS 27.7, OPPONENT 21.9.

--RUTGERS is 33-15 UNDER (+16.5 Units) in the first half of the season since 1992.
The average score was RUTGERS 24.1, OPPONENT 25.2.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992. Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--Under is 4-0 in RUTG last 4 road games.
--Under is 5-1 in RUTG last 6 Thursday games.
--Under is 25-10 in RUTG last 35 non-conference games.

--WSU is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in August.
--WSU is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
--WSU is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games on fieldturf.

StatSystems Sports has searched its database for all past games where the posted line or total were similar to this game's and where the final game statistics were comparable to the estimator's projections. (Yards/Play and turnovers) Here are the results against the spread, against the total, and straight up:

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 19 times, while the underdog covered the spread 15 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 29 times, while the underdog won straight up 7 times. 10 games went under the total, while 9 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 21 times, while the underdog covered first half line 13 times. *No EDGE. 11 games went under first half total, while 8 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAA Football Game Picks

Texas A&M at South Carolina

The Gamecocks kick off the 2014 season Thursday night with conference battle against a Texas A&M team that is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 Thursday games. South Carolina is the pick (-10) according to Dunkel, which has the Gamecocks favored by 15. Dunkel Pick: South Carolina (-10). Here are all of this week's games.









THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
Time Posted: 9:00 a.m. EST (8/25)


Game 133-134: Texas A&M at South Carolina (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas A&M 99.153; South Carolina 114.054
Dunkel Line: South Carolina by 15; 62
Vegas Line: South Carolina by 10; 57 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Carolina (-10); Over


Game 135-136: Wake Forest at UL-Monroe (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wake Forest 78.614; UL-Monroe 79.966
Dunkel Line: UL-Monroe by 1 1/2; 42
Vegas Line: Wake Forest by 2 1/2; 47
Dunkel Pick: UL-Monroe (+2 1/2); Under


Game 137-138: Tulane at Tulsa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulane 77.476; Tulsa 68.809
Dunkel Line: Tulane by 8 1/2; 52
Vegas Line: Tulsa by 5; 47
Dunkel Pick: Tulane (+5); Over


Game 139-140: Boise State vs. Mississippi (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boise State 87.464; Mississippi 100.444
Dunkel Line: Mississippi by 13; 62
Vegas Line: Mississippi by 10; 56 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Mississippi (-10); Over


Game 141-142: Temple at Vanderbilt (9:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Temple 81.614; Vanderbilt 100.447
Dunkel Line: Vanderbilt by 19; 47
Vegas Line: Vanderbilt by 14; 52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vanderbilt (-14); Under


Game 143-144: Rutgers at Washington State (9:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rutgers 82.319; Washington State 88.474
Dunkel Line: Washington State by 6; 55
Vegas Line: Washington State by 8 1/2; 60 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rutgers (+8 1/2); Under





OTHER MAJOR GAMES:
Time Posted: 9:00 a.m. EST (8/25)


Game 303-304: Eastern Illinois at Minnesota (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Illinois 86.194; Minnesota 95.596
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 9 1/2; 58
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 305-306: Howard at Akron (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Howard 52.988; Akron 77.207
Dunkel Line: Akron by 24 1/2; 48
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 307-308: Presbyterian at Northern Illinois (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Presbyterian 39.602; Northern Illinois 93.029
Dunkel Line: Northern Illinois by 53 1/2; 57
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 309-310: Chattanooga at Central Michigan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chattanooga 66.348; Central Michigan 78.674
Dunkel Line: Central Michigan by 12 1/2; 53
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 311-312: Idaho State at Utah (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 44.567; Utah 93.337
Dunkel Line: Utah by 49; 72
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 313-314: Cal Poly at New Mexico State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cal Poly 76.408; New Mexico State 60.995
Dunkel Line: Cal Poly by 15 1/2; 49
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 315-316: North Dakota at San Jose State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Dakota 49.880; San Jose State 84.665
Dunkel Line: San Jose State by 35; 53
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A


Game 317-318: Weber State at Arizona State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Weber State 53.161; Arizona State 101.846
Dunkel Line: Arizona State by 48 1/2; 64
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A





OTHER GAMES:
Time Posted: 9:00 a.m. EST (8/25)


Missouri State at Northwestern State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 72.917; Northwestern State 59.063
Dunkel Line: Missouri State by 14


Valparaiso at Western Illinois (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Valparaiso 14.335; Western Illinois 61.163
Dunkel Line: Western Illinois by 47


Bryant at Stony Brook (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Bryant 46.418; Stony Brook 66.858
Dunkel Line: Stony Brook by 20 1/2


Charlotte at Campbell (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 49.895; Campbell 33.771
Dunkel Line: Charlotte by 16


Eastern Kentucky at Robert Morris (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 57.116; Robert Morris 48.925
Dunkel Line: Eastern Kentucky by 8


Missouri State at Northwestern State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 72.917; Northwestern State 59.063
Dunkel Line: Missouri State by 14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Thursday Night College Football: Texas A&M vs. South Carolina
Nellysports

College football is back and the Thursday night schedule opens up with several big games. The SEC headlines the opening night slate with a matchup of two prominent programs as Texas A&M visits South Carolina. Mississippi and Vanderbilt are also in action in later matchups on Thursday’s six-game slate.

Match-up: Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks
Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina (grass)
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2014
Time/TV: 6:00 PM ET – SEC Network
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Over/Under 58
Last Meeting: None

The impact of Jonny Manziel at Texas A&M has been huge and it will be a great challenge for the Aggies to maintain its position among the elite teams in the SEC. While the Aggies did not win a championship in either of the past two seasons Texas A&M went 20-6 with two bowl wins to wipe away mostly mediocre results in the past two decades. Most expected Texas A&M to struggle in the move to the SEC but so far it has been a great success and the university is reaping the rewards in many ways, including another great recruiting class for Kevin Sumlin.

While Texas A&M will play a soft non-conference schedule in 2014, they draw one of the tougher overall schedules in the conference. There are no easy outs in the West division and the draw from the East features last year’s top two teams, with Missouri in November and this challenging opening game with South Carolina. The Aggies also have daunting travel with five of the first eight games of the season away from home and in addition to this visit to Columbia, the Aggies are playing on the road against both Alabama and Auburn this season.

Sophomore Kenny Hill has been named the starter for Texas A&M, beating out freshman Kyle Allen who many had projected to win the job. Hill did see the field last season, completing 16 passes while also rushing for 37 yards. He fits the bill as a dual-threat player that has some of the mobility that was so valuable for Manziel, and he is not much bigger than Manziel at just 6’1”.

Just as pressing as the loss at quarterback is the loss of NFL draft pick Mike Evans who had monster numbers for the Aggies last season with nearly 1,400 receiving yards while importantly bailing Manziel out on some of his wild scrambles. The Aggies have four receivers on the roster that had receptions last season but the offense is very young at the skill positions. Even with the loss of several higher profile offensive linemen in recent years the Aggies will still have an experienced unit that could be one of the best lines in the SEC, which should help the transition considerably.

While Manziel was the most talked about player at the NFL draft this spring, the #1 pick in the draft was South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. While Clowney did not have huge statistics last season he certainly took a lot of attention from opposing teams. South Carolina actually took a substantial step back defensively in its 2013 statistics compared with 2012 though it marked a third consecutive season that South Carolina has finished 11-2 with a bowl win over a Big Ten team under Steve Spurrier, now in his 10th season with the program. It will be interesting to see if South Carolina can maintain its strong defensive reputation with a lot of new players in key spots this season.

South Carolina also lost its starting quarterback from last season in Connor Shaw, who ironically is with Manziel on the Cleveland Browns roster, at least for the time being. Shaw had a great college career also playing as a dual-threat quarterback though injuries kept him from having as consistent success. Missing some time has allowed Dylan Thompson, now a senior in the starting role to gain plenty of experience. Thompson threw for 783 yards last season including starting two games and he also started a game in the 2012 season. Thompson is much more of a pocket passer than Shaw so the Gamecocks will lean on the running backs this season.

Mike Davis is the lead running back for South Carolina and he averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season en route to a nearly 1,200 yard season. Davis had an injury scare earlier this month and has missed some practice with a rib injury but he is expected to be a full participant for the opener. It is a position where South Carolina has some depth so it will be a committee approach for most of the season and especially in the opener as Texas A&M allowed 222 yards per game on the ground last season.

The Aggies do have a lot of experience on defense including most of the key players on the defensive line returning to action but statistically Texas A&M was the worst rush defense in the SEC season in 2013. Expect the Aggies to attempt to bottle up the run in this game and force Thompson to make some throws but the Gamecocks also possess a veteran receiving corps that lost only one key player from last season’s rotation.

South Carolina is undefeated at home the past two seasons with consecutive 7-0 campaigns in Columbia, but there have been a few close calls with three wins by seven or fewer points in that span, all coming against SEC opponents. Texas A&M is actually 7-2 on the road under Sumlin and the most famous win for the program in this era came in a pretty tough venue in Tuscaloosa. This will be the biggest underdog spread for the Aggies since that 29-24 win over Alabama in 2012. The Aggies were twice a road underdog last season but they came up short in both instances.

Line Movement: The line opened at -11 before dropping to 10 and climbing back to 10.5 at most outlets. The total has climbed from 57 to 58.

Last Meeting: This is the first ever meeting between Texas A&M and South Carolina

Texas A&M Historical Trends: This program has not performed well away from home going just 66-93-3 ATS in road games since 1980 and the more recent numbers are no better with a 25-45-1 ATS record since 1999. Texas A&M is just 2-6 the last three years as an underdog and 25-41-1 ATS as an underdog going back to 2000. Texas A&M is 8-18 ATS as a road underdog of 10 or more points going back to 1982.

South Carolina Historical Trends: South Carolina is 32-3 S/U and 21-13 ATS at home since 2009. Under Spurrier South Carolina is 8-1 S/U but just 5-4 ATS in home openers, winning each of the last seven home openers S/U with covers in five of the last six. Under Spurrier South Carolina is 25-17-2 ATS as a home favorite, losing outright just three times in those 44 games.

There are five additional games on the Thursday night opening slate – here is a quick look at two of the other prominent games:

Mississippi vs. Boise State

Line: Mississippi -10, Over/Under 54

This game will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, one of two games this weekend in the building as Alabama and West Virginia will face off Saturday in Atlanta. The Broncos have played in a number of big national openers against high profile teams, featuring mixed results including an ugly loss last season against Washington. After eight impressive seasons in Boise Chris Petersen left for the Washington opening as a new era opens. Last season Boise State fell to 8-5 for its worst season in over a decade but that was incredibly inexperienced team. This year’s team should be better as one of the favorites in the Mountain West though this is a tough opening draw for Bryan Harsin who takes over after just one season at Arkansas State. After a 2-10 2011 season Hugh Freeze has led two successful seasons for the Rebels with bowl wins. The next step is competing for a SEC title and there is a lot of experience on this team even though the Rebels are often forgotten in the loaded SEC West. With veteran QB and nine starters back on a very talented defense Ole Miss could be a sleeper in the West division and the SEC as a whole. Both teams have great recent records in neutral site games with Mississippi going 17-5-1 ATS since 1985 and Boise State going 10-3 ATS since 2000.

Rutgers vs. Washington State

Line: Washington State -8, Over/Under 61

This game is a neutral site game in Seattle at CenturyLink Field. In the opening game last season on the road Washington State out-gained Auburn in a tough 31-24 loss. Little did anyone know that Auburn would wind up playing for a national championship at the end of the season. While there were several ugly losses along the way, Washington State wound up back in the postseason in just the second season for Mike Leach in Pullman, though the season ended with a stunning bowl loss. The Cougars allowed 458 yards per game last season but the offense returns quarterback Connor Halliday and nearly the entire receiving corps as this will again be a very productive offensive team. Washington State has lost by combined score of 150-64 in the last three Seattle games but there will be much more of a home field edge this time around given the long travel for Rutgers. Rutgers is pegged to be one of the bottom teams in its first season in the Big Ten but the schedule is a huge factor in the lack of optimism. This is an experienced team and Kyle Flood has done a nice job in two seasons as Rutgers has made back-to-back bowl trips, exceeding most expectations. The strength of the Knights has been stopping the run in recent seasons and that won’t be much of an issue in this matchup but Rutgers does have veteran lines that should allow the team to compete in this game if they can cash in on offensive opportunities to keep up with the high scoring Cougars. Rutgers has been a great team to back as an underdog in the last decade, going 46-22-2 ATS when getting points since 2002. Washington State is just 17-24 ATS as a favorite since 2003 and the Cougars are just 4-11 ATS in neutral site games since 2001.

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South Carolina vs. Texas A&M Odds and Pick
By: Craig Williams
Sportingnews

The South Carolina Gamecocks, 6-to-1 to top the SEC and 30-to-1 to win the College Football Playoff, jump right into the fire with a Week 1 Thursday night matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network), who are ranked No. 18 in Sporting News' preseason Top 25. The Gamecocks check in at No. 10 on Matt Hayes' list.

Line: South Carolina -10.5, Total: 58

Line movement: The spread here has bounced between 10.5 and 11, with some shops around Las Vegas still dealing South Carolina -11 as of Tuesday. The total opened at 56, but has been bet up to 58 at multiple books.

Trends that matter: The Aggies and Gamecocks have a chance to create their own trends as this matchup will be their first. South Carolina was 7-0 straight-up and 4-3 ATS at home last season. Texas A&M went 2-2 SU and 0-4 ATS on the road. Keep in mind, though, that each team will be breaking in a new starting quarterback this season.

Tough acts to follow: Both Texas A&M and South Carolina are replacing wildly productive quarterbacks. Aggies sophomore Kenny Hill may be under the strongest microscope as he steps into the void left behind by Johnny Manziel. Hill attempted only 22 passes last season, but head coach Kevin Sumlin said that Hill's "body of work" earned him the job over true freshman Kyle Allen. The competition is ongoing, however, Sumlin stressed.

Fun fact: The Aggies and Gamecocks are both replacing quarterbacks currently playing for the Cleveland Browns. Manziel, of course, continues to cast a large shadow over former South Carolina QB Connor Shaw, but that does not reflect the value Shaw had at the head of the Gamecock offense from 2011-13. He compiled 7,534 total yards, 72 total touchdowns and 33 wins over that span. Unlike A&M, South Carolina will at least have experience -- relatively speaking -- on its side with senior Dylan Thompson, who has attempted 218 passes in his collegiate career.

For what it's worth, Thompson appears eager to take advantage of his opportunity. "I want everyone to know I am putting in more time than any quarterback in the (SEC) and in the country," Thompson told the Greenville News during spring practice.

Injuries that matter: There was some concern last Thursday that South Carolina RB Mike Davis (ribs) wouldn't be able to play in the season opener, but Steve Spurrier said his junior back should be ready to go. "Hopefully, Mike will be full speed, 100 percent by Thursday," said Spurrier. "We think he will be."

The Linemakers' lean: Despite losing Johnny Manziel, we think Texas A&M will continue to run its offense flawlessly, as has been the case in each of Kevin Sumlin's six years as head coach -- five of those teams averaged over 500 yards per game. The system will make sophomore Kenny Hill a success, just like everyone else Sumlin has had at QB. He handpicked this kid to run his offense, and he's going to be special.

South Carolina, too, will be in great shape behind Dylan Thomson, who has played parts of the last three seasons and done very well. We can envision a fourth-straight 11-2 year for the Gamecocks.

But this is just too many points for South Carolina to be laying. Our plays: Aggies +11 with a small lean to UNDER 58.

Weather: The forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid-80s. Neither wind nor rain is expected to be a factor. Check out wunderground for an updated forecast.

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Dave Cokin:

138 Tulsa -5

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Vegas Runner

Texas Aggies over 59 total

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Wunderdog Sports Free Play

Game: Arizona Cardinals @ San Diego Chargers
Time: Thursday 08/28 10:00 PM Eastern
Pick: Arizona +3 (+105) at Bookmaker (http://www.bookmaker.eu/)

Arizona coach Bruce Arians is an outstanding coach with his teams at 5-2 ATS in preseason. Three potential starters and important backups will get their first significant playing time of the preseason. Guard Jonathan Cooper (turf toe) and linebacker Kevin Minter (pectoral muscle) will play and the team is hopeful that cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu, who suffered knee injuries last December, make their preseason debuts. Cooper, Minter and Mathieu were expected to be starters this year, and Ta'amu split time a year ago with Dan Williams. The Arizona defense is deep, allowing 16.8 points per game. San Diego (1-2) had a weak defense last season and has not looked sharp, allowing 21 and 41 points the last two weeks. San Diego coach Mike McCoy admitted this week that they weren't going to show many things. This makes sense as Arizona and San Diego close out the preseason this week and then open the regular season 11 days later in Glendale, so the value is with the dog. Take Arizona.

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Behind The Bets

Texas A&M +10.5

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Richard Saber @ Gaming Today

Thursday

Texas A&M +10½ at S.C. (58): The total is interesting. Both teams lose a ton of offense, the Aggies without Manziel and the Gamecocks minus Shaw. Both may come out a little slow on the draw. UNDER.

Ole Miss -10 vs. Boise St.: The Rebels from Oxford are completely loaded with QB Bo Wallace and look to make some big noise in the SEC West. With a little luck they could win it, but must get past the Broncos in Atlanta. No blue carpet in the Georgia Dome and Ole Miss will have a few more fans than Boise. OLE MISS.

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Rooster

114 NY GIANTS -3

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Esquire Sports

Temple vs Vanderbilt UNDER 50.5 ($100) SMALL NCAAF PICK OF THE WEEK

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Prediction Machine

Texas AM / South Carolina over 60.1%
Tulane / Tulsa under 59.1%

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RAS

UAB

Boston College

Florida

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Game of the Day: Texas A&M at South Carolina

Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks (-10.5, 60.5)

The post-Johnny Manziel era is set to get underway for No. 20 Texas A&M, which faces a brutal season-opening test at SEC rival and ninth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday. Even though the Aggies must replace the former Heisman Trophy winner, many will argue that the Gamecocks endured an even bigger loss than Manziel with the departure of all-world defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the top overall pick in the NFL draft. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools.

South Carolina, which never has won an SEC championship, is coming off three consecutive 11-win seasons under legendary coach Steve Spurrier and was the preseason choice to win the East Division. Texas A&M was expected to struggle upon moving from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012 but, buoyed by the wondrous talents of Manziel, the Aggies went 20-6 in their first two seasons and capped each with a bowl victory. Sophomore Kenny Hill will be in the spotlight after narrowly beating out Kyle Allen as Manziel's successor.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network.

LINE HISTORY: The Gamecocks opened as 11-point favorites, where bet down to -10 and now sit at -10.5. The total which opened at 57 has steadily climbed to 60.5.

INJURY REPORT: Texas A&M: DB Victor Davis - out indefinitely (suspension). South Carolina: RB Mike Davis - probable Thursday (ribs), TE Rory Anderson - questionable Thursday (triceps), C Cody Waldrop - questionable Thursday (oblique), T Mike Matulis - doubtful Thursday (knee).

COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Texas A&M (-12.5) - South Carolina (-20) + home field (-3) = South Carolina -10.5.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "The question everyone's asking is how will the Gamecocks replace Jadeveon Clowney, but perhaps the biggest concern for Spurrier's squad is whether or not QB Dylan Thompson can step up in place of Connor Shaw. Thompson was inconsistent at best last season, throwing for 783 yards with 4 TDs and 3 INTs." - Covers Expert Jess Schule.

WHAT BOOKS SAY:

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (2013: 9-4, 5-8 ATS): The Aggies led the SEC in scoring (44.2 ppg) and total offense (538.4 yards) for the second straight season, so the onus will be on Hill, who played sparingly as a freshman and threw for 183 yards on 16-of-22 over parts of four games. Senior Malcome Kennedy is the top returnee at wide receiver, but Ricky Seals-Jones and explosive freshman Speedy Noil are elite talents and will be counted on to replace NFL first-round pick Mike Evans, while Trey Williams, Tra Carson and Brandon Williams head a deep running back corps. Cornerback Deshazor Everett leads a defense that was singed for 151 points over the final four games last season and will hope for immediately production from freshman defensive end Myles Garrett, among the nation's top recruits.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (2013: 11-2, 7-6 ATS): The Gamecocks also have a change under center, with longtime backup Dylan Thompson poised to take the reins after backing up Connor Shaw the past three seasons. Although fifth-year senior Thompson is more of a pure passer compared to dual-threat Shaw, South Carolina is expected to rely heavily on a ground game featuring Mike Davis, a preseason first-team SEC selection who rumbled for 1,183 yards last season and will be running behind one of the top offensive lines in the conference. While replacing Clowney will be impossible, the Gamecocks also suffered other key losses on the defensive side and will need big seasons from nose tackle J.T. Surratt, cornerback Brison Williams and freshman linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams.

TRENDS:

* Aggies are 1-6 ATS in their last seven conference games.
* Gamecocks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 7-2 in Aggies last nine conference games.
* Under is 4-0 in Ganecocks last four conference games.

COVERS CONSENSUS: Almost 55 percent of the wagers are backing South Carolina at -10.5.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Five college football teams on upset alert in Week 1
By KEVIN CAUSEY

Every year we see upsets during the first week of the season. Here are five games to keep on upset alert during the opening week of the college football season.

Portland State Vikings at Oregon State Beavers (-31)

If history is any indication, then Oregon State is in trouble in their opener. Last season, the Beavers lost to Eastern Washington 49-46. In 2011, they fell to Sacramento State 29-28. Portland State lost four games last season but did play Cal close (lost 37-30) and their biggest loss from 2013 was 28 points so even if they don't pull the upset, they could cover the spread.

Likelihood of upset: Small

Rice Owls at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-20.5)

With the exception of 2012, under Brian Kelly, the Irish have been bitten by the upset bug. In 2010 it was Navy and Tulsa. In 2011 it was USF. In 2013 it was Pitt. Notre Dame is in the midst of an internal investigation into academic misconduct and you have to wonder if their attention will be elsewhere when they face off with the defending Conference USA Champions.

Likelihood of upset: Medium

California Golden Bears at Northwestern Wildcats (-10)

In 2013, Cal was flat out awful. Last year, Cal lost over 50 starters to injury, they broke in a new QB and they had a coaching change so they had to adjust to a change in schemes. On the flip side, Northwestern just found out that their top receiver, Christian Jones, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Both of these teams are coming off of very disappointing 2013 seasons and it was be an interesting game to watch.

Likelihood of upset: Medium

Utah State Aggies at Tennessee Volunteers (-6.5)

The Vols lost every player on their offensive and defensive line. They also just named Justin Worley their starting quarterback, which seems like a disappointment based on his past performance. Can talent at RB and WR overcome the question-marks the Vols have? Another big factor in this game will be Utah State's star quarterback Chuckie Keeton, who will be returning from injury.

Likelihood of upset: XL

Youngstown State at Illinois (-10)

Tim Beckman's era at Illinois has been a huge disappointment through two years. The Illini have gone 6-18 overall and 1-15 in Big Ten play. In Illinois only game against an FCS opponent in 2013, they won by just eight points. Youngstown State went 8-4 last season and isn't a team to be taken lightly. Remember 2012 when the Penguins went to Pitt and came away with a 31-17 victory?

Likelihood of upset: Jumbo

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StatFox Super Situations

CFB | OLE MISS at BOISE ST
Play On - Favorites of 10.5 to 21 points (OLE MISS) incredible offense from last season - averaged 450 or more total yards/game
46-18 over the last 10 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )

CFB | TULANE at TULSA
Play Against - A road team vs. the money line (TULANE) good rushing defense from last season - allowed 125 or less rushing yards/game
62-36 over the last 5 seasons. ( 63.3% | 0.0 units )

CFB | PENN ST at UCF
Play Under - All teams where the first half total is 21.5 to 24.5 good team from last season - outscored opponents by 7 or more points/game, with an inexperienced QB as starter, in the first two weeks of the season
46-18 over the last 10 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Texas A&M at South Carolina
By Joe Nelson

College football is back and the Thursday night schedule opens up with several big games. The SEC headlines the opening night slate with a matchup of two prominent programs as Texas A&M visits South Carolina. Mississippi and Vanderbilt are also in action for the SEC in later matchups on Thursday’s six-game slate.

Match-up: Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks
Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina (grass)
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2014
Time/TV: 6:00 PM ET – SEC Network
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Over/Under 58
Last Meeting: None

The impact of Jonny Manziel at Texas A&M has been huge and it will be a great challenge for the Aggies to maintain its position among the elite teams in the SEC. While the Aggies did not win a championship in either of the past two seasons, Texas A&M went 20-6 with two bowl wins to wipe away mostly mediocre results in the past two decades. Most expected Texas A&M to struggle in the move to the SEC, but so far it has been a great success and the university is reaping the rewards in many ways, including another great recruiting class for Kevin Sumlin.

While Texas A&M will play a soft non-conference schedule in 2014, they draw one of the tougher overall schedules in the conference. There are no easy outs in the West division and the draw from the East features last year’s top two teams, with Missouri in November and this challenging opening game with South Carolina. The Aggies also have daunting travel with five of the first eight games of the season away from home and in addition to this visit to Columbia, the Aggies are playing on the road against both Alabama and Auburn this season.

Sophomore Kenny Hill has been named the starter for Texas A&M, beating out freshman Kyle Allen who many had projected to win the job. Hill did see the field last season, completing 16 passes while also rushing for 37 yards. He fits the bill as a dual-threat player that has some of the mobility that was so valuable for Manziel, and he is not much bigger than Manziel at just 6’1”.

Just as pressing as the loss at quarterback is, the loss of NFL draft pick Mike Evans who had monster numbers for the Aggies last season with nearly 1,400 receiving yards, while importantly bailing Manziel out on some of his wild scrambles. The Aggies have four receivers on the roster that had receptions last season, but the offense is very young at the skill positions. Even with the loss of several higher profile offensive linemen in recent years, the Aggies will still have an experienced unit that could be one of the best lines in the SEC, which should help the transition considerably.

While Manziel was the most talked about player at the NFL draft this spring, the #1 pick in the draft was South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. While Clowney did not have huge statistics last season, he certainly took a lot of attention from opposing teams. South Carolina actually took a substantial step back defensively in its 2013 statistics compared with 2012, though it marked a third consecutive season that South Carolina has finished 11-2 with a bowl win over a Big Ten team under Steve Spurrier, now in his 10th season with the program. It will be interesting to see if South Carolina can maintain its strong defensive reputation with a lot of new players in key spots this season.

South Carolina also lost its starting quarterback from last season in Connor Shaw, who ironically is with Manziel on the Cleveland Browns roster, at least for the time being. Shaw had a great college career also playing as a dual-threat quarterback though injuries kept him from having as consistent success. Missing some time has allowed Dylan Thompson, now a senior in the starting role to gain plenty of experience. Thompson threw for 783 yards last season including starting two games and he also started a game in the 2012 season. Thompson is much more of a pocket passer than Shaw so the Gamecocks will lean on the running backs this season.

Mike Davis is the lead running back for South Carolina and he averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season en route to a nearly 1,200 yard season. Davis had an injury scare earlier this month and has missed some practice with a rib injury, but he is expected to be a full participant for the opener. It is a position where South Carolina has some depth so it will be a committee approach for most of the season and especially in the opener as Texas A&M allowed 222 yards per game on the ground last season.

The Aggies do have a lot of experience on defense, including most of the key players on the defensive line returning to action, but statistically Texas A&M was the worst rush defense in the SEC season in 2013. Expect the Aggies to attempt to bottle up the run in this game and force Thompson to make some throws, but the Gamecocks also possess a veteran receiving corps that lost only one key player from last season’s rotation.

South Carolina is undefeated at home the past two seasons with consecutive 7-0 campaigns in Columbia, but there have been a few close calls with three wins by seven or fewer points in that span, all coming against SEC opponents. Texas A&M is actually 7-2 on the road under Sumlin and the most famous win for the program in this era came in a pretty tough venue in Tuscaloosa. This will be the biggest underdog spread for the Aggies since that 29-24 win over Alabama in 2012. The Aggies were twice a road underdog last season but they came up short in both instances.

Line Movement: The line opened at -11 before dropping to 10 and climbing back to 10.5 at most outlets. The total has climbed from 57 to 58.

Last Meeting: This is the first ever meeting between Texas A&M and South Carolina

Texas A&M Historical Trends: This program has not performed well away from home going just 66-93-3 ATS in road games since 1980 and the more recent numbers are no better with a 25-45-1 ATS record since 1999. Texas A&M is just 2-6 the last three years as an underdog and 25-41-1 ATS as an underdog going back to 2000. Texas A&M is 8-18 ATS as a road underdog of 10 or more points going back to 1982.

South Carolina Historical Trends: South Carolina is 32-3 S/U and 21-13 ATS at home since 2009. Under Spurrier South Carolina is 8-1 S/U but just 5-4 ATS in home openers, winning each of the last seven home openers S/U with covers in five of the last six. Under Spurrier, South Carolina is 25-17-2 ATS as a home favorite, losing outright just three times in those 44 games.

There are five additional games on the Thursday night opening slate – here is a quick look at two of the other prominent games:

Mississippi vs. Boise State (ESPN)
Line: Mississippi -10, Over/Under 54

This game will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, one of two games this weekend in the building as Alabama and West Virginia will face off Saturday in Atlanta. The Broncos have played in a number of big national openers against high profile teams, featuring mixed results including an ugly loss last season against Washington. After eight impressive seasons in Boise, Chris Petersen left for the Washington opening as a new era opens. Last season, Boise State fell to 8-5 for its worst season in over a decade but that was incredibly inexperienced team. This year’s team should be better as one of the favorites in the Mountain West though this is a tough opening draw for Bryan Harsin, who takes over after just one season at Arkansas State. After a 2-10 season in 2011, Hugh Freeze has led two successful seasons for the Rebels with bowl wins. The next step is competing for a SEC title and there is a lot of experience on this team, even though the Rebels are often forgotten in the loaded SEC West. With veteran QB and nine starters back on a very talented defense, Ole Miss could be a sleeper in the West division and the SEC as a whole. Both teams have great recent records in neutral site games with Mississippi going 17-5-1 ATS since 1985 and Boise State going 10-3 ATS since 2000.

Rutgers vs. Washington State (FOX1)
Line: Washington State -8, Over/Under 61

This game is a neutral site game in Seattle at CenturyLink Field. In the opening game last season on the road, Washington State out-gained Auburn in a tough 31-24 loss. Little did anyone know that Auburn would wind up playing for a national championship at the end of the season. While there were several ugly losses along the way, Washington State wound up back in the postseason in just the second season for Mike Leach in Pullman, though the season ended with a stunning bowl loss.

The Cougars allowed 458 yards per game last season, but the offense returns quarterback Connor Halliday and nearly the entire receiving corps as this will again be a very productive offensive team. Washington State has lost by combined score of 150-64 in the last three Seattle games, but there will be much more of a home-field edge this time around given the long travel for Rutgers.

Rutgers is pegged to be one of the bottom teams in its first season in the Big Ten, but the schedule is a huge factor in the lack of optimism. This is an experienced team and Kyle Flood has done a nice job in two seasons as Rutgers has made back-to-back bowl trips, exceeding most expectations. The strength of the Knights has been stopping the run in recent seasons and that won’t be much of an issue in this matchup, but Rutgers does have veteran lines that should allow the team to compete in this game if they can cash in on offensive opportunities to keep up with the high scoring Cougars. Rutgers has been a great team to back as an underdog in the last decade, going 46-22-2 ATS when getting points since 2002. Washington State is just 17-24 ATS as a favorite since 2003 and the Cougars are just 4-11 ATS in neutral site games since 2001.

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purelock

top play nflx JAGUARS -4(-15)

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Dr. Bob
BG/WKU O57.5
Washington -15

Arkansas +20.5

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Ben Burns

Chi. Cubs vs. Cincinnati - August 28, 2014 - 12:35 PM
Pick: Under 7.5 -115
8* breakfast club.


Texas vs. Houston - August 28, 2014 - 8:10 PM
Pick: Houston-141
9* personal favorite.

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STATSYSTEMS SPORTS NCAACF REPORT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th 2014

***** NCAA College Football Week #1 Information *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every week during the 2014 NCAA College Football season we will analyze all of your daily football action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of StatSystems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
__________________________________________________

NCAA College Football News and Notes - Week #1
•Nick Saban is not ready to make a call at starting quarterback and lists Blake Sims and transfer Jacob Coker as co-starters for Saturday's season opener against West Virginia. Coker, a transfer from Florida State who arrived on campus in the spring, is a big pocket passer with very good arm strength. He was presumed the starter, but Sims has more time in the offense and his comfort level was evident in fall camp. Coker (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) was Jameis Winston's backup at Florida State. He is a pro-style quarterback akin to AJ McCarron, whereas Sims was used mostly in a read-option niche role. "Whatever pitcher starts the game isn't necessarily going to pitch nine innings," Saban said on Monday. A determination on the starter might not come until game day.

•Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller will have season-ending shoulder surgery on Tuesday, coach Urban Meyer announced. Miller, who is right-handed, tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder last week. Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery. Miller has been a standout athletic quarterback for the Buckeyes when healthy. Last season as a junior, he threw for 2,094 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games. He also ran for 1,068 yards with 12 TDs. It was his second straight season rushing for at least 1,000 yards. Ohio State opens the season Saturday against Navy in Baltimore. J.T. Barrett, a redshirt freshman who has not taken a snap in college, will start in place of Miller.

•Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker is sidelined for six to eight weeks with a broken bone in his left foot, coach Bobby Petrino announced. Parker, a senior, was scheduled to have surgery on Monday. The earliest Parker could return is Oct. 11 against Clemson. Parker was injured during practice Friday night. He traveled to Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday to be examined by Dr. Robert Anderson, who specializes in foot and ankle injuries.

NCAACF Opening Line Report - Week #1
College football is finally going to have a playoff this year – sort of, with four teams getting a shot at the National Title come season’s end. A few teams that expect to be in the mix will get things rolling when the 2014 campaign kicks off this week, led by Thursday night’s clash between #21 Texas A&M and #9 South Carolina. The host Gamecocks opened as 12-point chalk one month ago, with the number now at 10.5 as Aggies bettors have moved the needle a little bit, despite losing star quarterback Johnny Manziel to the National Football League.

But South Point oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro says his place hasn’t seen any line shift. “We painted the game at -11 and have never moved off of it,” Vaccaro said. “This is a great way to start off the season, with two name-recognition teams. But there’s been nothing to make us move the line either way.”

•Clemson @ Georgia (-7.5)
This border battle was also the season opener for both teams last year, with Clemson winning a shootout 38-35 as a 1.5-point home underdog. The Bulldogs are ranked 12th in the preseason, and the Tigers enter Saturday’s game at No. 16. Vaccaro said the South Point opened the game at Georgia -8.5, but a $2,000 bet on Clemson tightened it a notch to 8.

“In a game like this, there will be plenty of support for both sides – both are marquee teams,” he said. “I feel like there’s a buzz with Georgia, with (coach) Mark Richt in a make-or-break season. It’s the right number, right where it should be.”

•Florida State (-17.5) Vs. Oklahoma State
Defending national champion Florida State is coming off a spot-less 14-0 season, and with Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston back at quarterback, the Seminoles are a consensus #1 in the preseason polls. The game is (8:00 PM EST) Saturday night at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. “We have the game at -18. It’s all small stuff. If the number goes up any higher, the smarts will get on Oklahoma State,” Vaccaro said, noting he indeed expects the number to jump.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the game went to -20.” Despite the Cowboys playing not too far from home? “I’ll bet a ham sandwich that there are as many Florida State fans in the stadium as Oklahoma State fans,” Vaccaro said.

•Wisconsin Vs. Louisiana State (-4)
It’s another neutral-site game, with both squads traveling to Houston’s NRG Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Texans. And it’s another top-25 battle, with LSU ranked 13th and Wisconsin 14th. “There’s not that much play on the game yet,” Vaccaro said. “Once again, it’s a great matchup, and it will draw plenty of attention, with a great time slot (9:00 PM EST). I’m gonna guess it closes at LSU -3.5. There will be plenty of Wisconsin money on game day.”

•Ohio State (-14) @ Navy
Ohio State opened as 19-point favorites for this quasi-neutral-site game, at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium. But that was before the Buckeyes lost superstar QB Braxton Miller for the entire season due to a shoulder injury. “We opened at 17.5, went to 18, saw the injury report and went back to 12.5, and now we’re back to 14,” Vaccaro said. “I don’t know where this one’s going. If it goes up anymore, then you’re saying Miller is only worth 2 to 3 points. I would consider him worth more than that.”

NCAAF Line Watch - Week #1
Each and every week during the 2014-15 College Football season, StatSystems Sports Vegas Insider Ryan Taylor looks at the NCAAF odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out. Note: Odds courtesy of LVH Superbook in Las Vegas.

Spread To Bet Now

•Fresno State vs. USC (-21, Total: 58)
Southern Cal opened as 22-point home favorites, but the line has come down to a favorable number to back the Trojans. These two teams closed last season by playing in the Las Vegas Bowl and USC cruised to a 45-20 win. Fresno State lost QB Derek Carr to graduation along with five other offensive starters. With their best team in over a decade (11-2), the Bulldogs were no match for the Trojans.

USC has a new head coach in Steve Sarkisian, and reports out of Los Angeles say the team is focused and motivated for the upcoming season. The Trojans have a wealth of talent on hand, and their defense will be outstanding. This is a big statement game for the Trojans, and it comes against a team they simply dominate at every position. Lay the three touchdowns now before the sharp bettors take out the good number.

Spread To Wait On

•Arkansas (+20.5, Total: 57.5) @ Auburn
Auburn is currently a 20.5-point home favorite over Arkansas, but this line is likely to go higher as we get closer to kickoff. Public bettors often remember what they last saw, and that was Auburn a minute away from winning the National Championship last season.

Arkansas slogged through a miserable 3-9 season last year; the Razorbacks were 0-8 in SEC play, including a 35-17 home loss to Auburn. But in their second year under head coach Bret Bielema, Arkansas will be a much improved team. We expect this line to reach the important number of 21, and at that price and preferably with another half point, we suggest taking Arkansas in this game.

Total To Watch

•Clemson @ Georgia (-7.5, Total: 57.5)
This total opened at 58, and early money has come in on the Under. Clemson has to replace a lot of their potent offense of a season ago (40.4 points per game), and they will be starting an inexperienced QB under center. Clemson’s defense returns seven starters from a unit that only gave up 22.2 points per game in 2013.

Georgia’s offense is also an unknown commodity, and that unit has been fighting nagging injuries during camp. The Bulldogs’ defense has the potential to be one of the best in the country, and they should limit Clemson’s production in this game. This total is quite high considering the makeup of both teams, and it will likely continue to drop as we get closer to game day.

Easiest And Hardest Opening Schedules
One of the most discussed aspects of NCAA College Football is scheduling and, more specifically, how a teams' schedule can have a great impact on their season. StatSystems Sports Systems Analyst William Stillman take a look at some teams that will take it easy at the beginning of the season and some that will jump right into it...

Easiest Schedules

•Arizona State Sun Devils
Opponents: Weber State, at New Mexico, at Colorado

The Sun Devils' opponents combined to go 9-27 last season. The game to watch from a betting perspective is the Colorado game because the Buffs will be better than last year and ASU may be looking forward to their next opponent, UCLA.

•Mississippi State Bulldogs
Opponents: Southern Miss, UAB, at South Alabama

These teams also combined to go 9-27 with Southern Miss and UAB splitting just three wins between them. The game to watch is South Alabama because it's on the road and the Jaguars tend to play their opponents close, only losing one game by double digits in 2013.

•Duke Blue Devils
Opponents: vs. Elon, at Troy, vs. Kansas

With this opening schedule, the loss of offensive coordinator Kurt Roper will be minimized as his replacement will have time to ease into position. Keep an eye on the Troy game as they played the Blue Devils close in 2013, only losing by seven in Durham.

Hardest Schedules

•Clemson Tigers
Opponents: at Georgia, South Carolina State, at FSU

Even though there is a cupcake stuck in the middle, it doesn't get much tougher than this. Florida State has won the last three games in this series in Tallahassee against Clemson. Georgia will be looking to return the favor from last year when the Tigers won by three in Death Valley. From a betting perspective, remember that Georgia is 2-7-2 ATS in it's last 11 games and both Clemson and Georgia have a recent history of going over on points.

•Georgia Bulldogs
Opponents: vs. Clemson, at South Carolina, vs. Troy

The opener against Clemson will have a potential impact on the college football playoff and the last two times Georgia traveled to Columbia to play South Carolina they came up short. One thing to keep in mind is that Georgia gets a week off after the Clemson game while the Gamecocks will host East Carolina.

•South Carolina Gamecocks
Opponents: vs. Texas A&M, vs. East Carolina, vs. Georgia

One thing Carolina's first three opponents have in common is that they can score points in a hurry and that will be something to watch with the Gamecocks losing Connor Shaw this year. Another thing to watch is the East Carolina matchup as it's a classic trap game stuffed in between two conference encounters with one of those being a rivalry game. Don't forget that the Pirates beat two ACC teams last year and only lost to Virginia Tech by five.
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#133 TEXAS A&M @ #134 S CAROLINA
TV: 6:00 PM EST, SEC Network
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Total: 58

The post-Johnny Manziel era is set to get underway for No. 20 Texas A&M, which faces a brutal season-opening test at South Eastern Conference rival and ninth-ranked South Carolina on Thursday night. Even though the Aggies must replace the former Heisman Trophy winner, many will argue that the Gamecocks endured an even bigger loss than Manziel with the departure of all-world defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the top overall pick in the National Football League draft. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the schools.

South Carolina, which never has won an SEC championship, is coming off three consecutive 11-win seasons under legendary head coach Steve Spurrier and was the preseason choice to win the East Division. Texas A&M was expected to struggle upon moving from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012 but, buoyed by the wondrous talents of Manziel, the Aggies went 20-6 in their first two seasons and capped each with a bowl victory. Sophomore Kenny Hill will be in the spotlight after narrowly beating out Kyle Allen as Manziel's successor.

•ABOUT TEXAS A&M (2013: 9-4, 4-4 SEC): The Aggies led the SEC in scoring (44.2 ppg) and total offense (538.4 yards) for the second straight season, so the onus will be on Hill, who played sparingly as a freshman and threw for 183 yards on 16-of-22 over parts of four games. Senior Malcome Kennedy is the top returnee at wide receiver, but Ricky Seals-Jones and explosive freshman Speedy Noil are elite talents and will be counted on to replace NFL first-round pick Mike Evans, while Trey Williams, Tra Carson and Brandon Williams head a deep running back corps. Cornerback Deshazor Everett leads a defense that was singed for 151 points over the final four games last season and will hope for immediately production from freshman defensive end Myles Garrett, among the nation's top recruits.

•ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (2013: 11-2, 6-2 SEC): The Gamecocks also have a change under center, with longtime backup Dylan Thompson poised to take the reins after backing up Connor Shaw the past three seasons. Although fifth-year senior Thompson is more of a pure passer compared to dual-threat Shaw, South Carolina is expected to rely heavily on a ground game featuring Mike Davis, a preseason first-team SEC selection who rumbled for 1,183 yards last season and will be running behind one of the top offensive lines in the conference. While replacing Clowney will be impossible, the Gamecocks also suffered other key losses on the defensive side and will need big seasons from nose tackle J.T. Surratt, cornerback Brison Williams and freshman linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams.

•PREGAME NOTES: South Carolina and Alabama are the only South Eastern Conference programs to limit opponents to fewer than 21 points per game in each of the last three seasons.... Texas A&M is 10-2 away from home under coach Kevin Sumlin the past two seasons.... Davis has been bothered by a rib injury, but Spurrier expects him to be at "full speed" for the opener.

•KEY STATS
--TEXAS A&M is 12-30 ATS (-21.0 Units) as a road underdog since 1992.
The average score was TEXAS A&M 19.9, OPPONENT 37.0.

--TEXAS A&M is 14-31 ATS (-20.1 Units) in road games in the first half of the season since 1992.
The average score was TEXAS A&M 26.8, OPPONENT 25.9.

--S CAROLINA is 12-2 UNDER (+9.8 Units) the 1rst half total when playing on a Thursday since 1992.
The average score was S CAROLINA 10.2, OPPONENT 7.0.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992. Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TAM is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.
--TAM is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games in August.
--TAM is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.

--SOCAR is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
--SOCAR is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--Under is 4-0 in SOCAR last 4 games in August.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 6 times, while the favorite covered the spread 5 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 8 times, while the underdog won straight up 3 times. 13 games went over the total, while 0 games went under the total. *Edge against the total =OVER.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 5 times, while the underdog covered first half line 4 times. *No EDGE. 8 games went over first half total, while 5 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.
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#135 WAKE FOREST @ #136 LA MONROE
TV: 7:02 PM EST, ESPNU, ESPN3
Line: Wake Forest -1, Total: 45.5

Dave Clawson's most recent rebuilding project gets underway Thursday evening, when Wake Forest travels to Louisiana-Monroe with hopes of avenging last season's two-point loss. Clawson has turned around programs at Fordham, Richmond and Bowling Green, but he has his work cut out for him at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons lost six offensive starters and three All-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive players from last year's four-win team and have a tough opener on the road against a dangerous small-conference opponent.

Louisiana-Monroe was able to shut down the Demon Deacons' ground game in last year's 21-19 win in Winston-Salem, N.C. John Wolford takes the reins of the offense from four-year starter Tanner Price and will be the first true freshman to start his first game at Wake Forest since Mike McGlamry in 1974. The Warhawks also have a new signal-caller, with North Carolina State transfer Pete Thomas taking over for Kolton Browning.

•ABOUT WAKE FOREST (2013: 4-8): The Demon Deacons lost all of their top offensive players from a team that averaged a meager 18.3 points a year ago. Wolford won the starting quarterback job in the preseason and brings high expectations after breaking a litany of state records as a high school star in Jacksonville, Fla. The defense has a better foundation anchored by a strong secondary but will need the inexperienced offense to keep it off the field more than it was last year.

•ABOUT LOUISIANA-MONROE (2013: 6-6): Thomas, who played two seasons at Colorado State before transferring to N.C. State, has passed for 5,936 yards in three years as a starter at the two previous stops. He's a good fit for Todd Berry's spread attack and has the Warhawks' leading receiver back in Rashon Ceaser (65 receptions, 964 yards, five TDs). The defense returns nine starters from a unit that improved as the season went on, but the two losses were big ones - leading tackler Cameron Blakes and safety Isaiah Newsome, who returned two of his team-high four interceptions for touchdowns.

•PREGAME NOTES: Thomas faced the Demon Deacons last season with N.C. State, completing 27-of-43 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown in a 28-13 Wolfpack loss.... The Warhawks are opening at home for the first time since 2007 and have won their home opener five of the last six years.... Wake Forest RB Dominique Gibson, the team's top returning rusher, is suspended for the first three games for violating team rules.

•KEY STATS
--WAKE FOREST is 31-15 UNDER (+14.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.
The average score was WAKE FOREST 25.1, OPPONENT 21.2.

--LA MONROE is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.
The average score was LA MONROE 16.6, OPPONENT 35.6.

•COACHING TRENDS
--DAVE CLAWSON is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in the first two weeks of the season in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was CLAWSON 27.3, OPPONENT 20.2.

--TODD BERRY is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games in non-conference games in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was BERRY 26.3, OPPONENT 33.3.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--LA MONROE is 1-0 against the spread versus WAKE FOREST since 1992.
--LA MONROE is 1-0 straight up against WAKE FOREST since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992.

--LA MONROE is 1-0 versus the first half line when playing against WAKE FOREST since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1992.

•RECENT TRENDS
--WAKE is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
--Under is 8-2 in WAKE last 10 road games.
--Under is 21-7 in WAKE last 28 games overall.

--ULM is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
--ULM is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in August.
--ULM is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 29 times, while the underdog covered the spread 19 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 35 times, while the underdog won straight up 17 times. 43 games went under the total, while 30 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 26 times, while the underdog covered first half line 26 times. *No EDGE. 43 games went under first half total, while 29 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.
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#137 TULANE @ #138 TULSA
TV: 8:00 PM EST, CBS Sports Network
Line: Tulsa -6.5, Total: 47

Tulsa will host a familiar foe in a new conference when Tulane visits Thursday night in their American Athletic Conference debuts. The Green Wave beat the Golden Hurricane 14-7 last year in a Conference USA matchup, snapping an eight-game losing streak to Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are looking for a clean slate in the AAC after following their 2012 Conference USA championship with a disappointing season.

"Looking back on it, I clearly see we were kind of living off (the success of 2012), assuming we would just pick up where we left off," fourth-year coach Bill Blankenship told the Tulsa World. "This season feels way different. Partly because I think we're a lot more on edge. We're not assuming anything." Tulsa has lots of key players returning, including sophomore quarterback Dane Evans, while Tulane redshirt freshman quarterback Tanner Lee starts his first collegiate game. The young quarterbacks will face experienced secondary’s, led by Tulane's Lorenzo Doss and Tulsa's Michael Mudoh.

•ABOUT TULANE (2013: 7-6): "(Lee has) got a strong arm, command of our offense, great leadership skills and doesn't make many mistakes," third-year coach Curtis Johnson said of Lee, who beat out senior Nick Montana (53.4 completion percentage, 1,717 yards and 14 touchdowns in 11 starts last year) for the starting job. Redshirt freshman Sherman Badie and sophomore Lazedrick Thompson will try to replace the production of workhorse Orleans Darkwa (863 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns) while senior Justyn Shackleford (36 catches, 419 yards, five TDs) is the leading returning receiver after the departure of fifth-round draft pick Ryan Grant (1,039 yards, nine TDs). Doss, who returned two of his seven interceptions for touchdowns last year, and safety Sam Scofield (team-high 104 tackles) return to a defense that was tied for second in the country with 35 takeaways.

•ABOUT TULSA (2013: 3-9): Evans played in eight games and started five, completing 84-of-195 passes for 898 yards and four touchdowns for the Golden Hurricane, who open at home for the first time since 2006. The return of junior receiver Keyarris Garrett, who led Tulsa with 67 catches, 845 yards and nine touchdowns in 2012 before a season-ending leg injury in the second game of 2013, will bolster an offense that has to replace two 2,000-yard rushers. The Tulsa defense lost Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year Shawn Jackson but has nine starters back plus the return of senior safety Demarco Nelson (who sat out 2013 for academic reasons) and sophomore linebacker Trent Martin (who missed seven games with a knee injury).

•PREGAME NOTES: Mudoh, a junior safety, was tied for fourth nationally with 11.1 tackles per game last year.... Tulane sophomore LB Nico Marley, who earned Conference USA co-freshman of the year honors after recording 67 tackles during the 2013 season, is the grandson of music legend Bob Marley.... Tulsa allowed 198.9 rushing yards last year while Tulane ran for just 126.8 yards (ranked 101st out of 123 teams).

•KEY STATS
--TULSA is 2-10 against the 1rst half line (-9.0 Units) versus the first half line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was TULSA 9.8, OPPONENT 17.3.

--TULSA is 0-6 against the 1rst half line (-6.6 Units) versus the 1rst half line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was TULSA 10.3, OPPONENT 22.3.

•COACHING TRENDS
--CURTIS JOHNSON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points as the coach of TULANE.
The average score was TULANE 28.2, OPPONENT 27.3.

--CURTIS JOHNSON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) against conference opponents as the coach of TULANE.
The average score was TULANE 25.1, OPPONENT 27.1.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--TULSA is 8-1 against the spread versus TULANE since 1992.
--TULSA is 8-1 straight up against TULANE since 1992.
--7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL since 1992.

--TULSA is 7-2 versus the first half line when playing against TULANE since 1992.
--5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1992.

--Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
--Favorite is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 meetings.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TULN is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
--Under is 4-1 in TULN last 5 road games.
--Under is 3-0-1 in TULN last 4 games overall.

--TLSA 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
--Over is 5-1 in TLSA last 6 home games.
--Under is 2-0-2 in TLSA last 4 games in August.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 44 times, while the underdog covered the spread 44 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 69 times, while the underdog won straight up 23 times. 63 games went under the total, while 20 games went over the total. *EDGE against the total =UNDER.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 46 times, while the underdog covered first half line 40 times. *No EDGE. 58 games went under first half total, while 24 games went over first half total. *Edge against first half total =UNDER.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

#139 OLE MISS vs. #140 BOISE ST
TV: 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
Line: Ole Miss -10.5, Total: 54

Mississippi looks to build on an eight-win campaign when it opens the season Thursday against Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Atlanta. The No. 19 Rebels have hopes of being a surprise contender in the SEC West, the loaded division that includes Alabama, Auburn and LSU. The Broncos are playing their first game under new coach Bryan Harsin, who took over after highly successful Chris Peterson left to become Washington’s coach.

Harsin was Boise State’s offensive coordinator from 2006-10 and returned to his hometown of Boise after one season as Arkansas State’s coach. Coincidentally, third-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze also served a one-season stint (2011) at Arkansas State before landing the Rebels’ gig. The Broncos have won more games (155) than any other school since the beginning of the 2000 season, but last season’s win total of eight was their lowest since 2001.

•ABOUT BOISE STATE (2013: 8-5): Senior quarterback Grant Hedrick isn’t a polished thrower but did have 16 touchdowns passes last season against only five interceptions while also being productive on the ground (277 yards, six TDs). Junior running back Jay Ajayi, who rushed for 1,425 yards and 18 touchdowns, is a powerful physical specimen with an NFL future while senior wideout Matt Miller (88 receptions for 1,140 yards, 12 TDs) is the top target. Defensively, the Broncos are led by junior cornerback Donte Deayon (six interceptions) and sophomore linebacker Ben Weaver (89 tackles).

•ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (2013: 8-5): Senior quarterback Bo Wallace is coming off a season in which he passed for 3,346 yards and 18 touchdowns but has been prone to turnovers and questionable decision-making during his career. Sophomore receiver Laquon Treadwell caught 72 passes last season but averaged just 8.4 yards per catch while juniors I’Tavius Mathers (563 yards) and Jaylen Walton (523) will split the ball-carrying duties. Defensively, the Rebels are led by sophomore defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (eight tackles for loss), senior free safety Cody Prewitt (six interceptions) and sophomore safety Tony Conner (66 tackles).

•PREGAME NOTES: Boise State isn’t ranked to start a season for the first time since 2008.... Ole Miss, which has won five consecutive non-conference games, has never previously faced the Broncos.... Rebels WR Sammie Epps was suspended after getting arrested for possession of marijuana earlier this month.

•KEY STATS
--OLE MISS is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was OLE MISS 35.9, OPPONENT 24.6.

--BOISE ST is 119-68 against the 1rst half line (+44.2 Units) versus the first half line in all games since 1992.
The average score was BOISE ST 21.7, OPPONENT 9.8.

•COACHING TRENDS
--HUGH FREEZE is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in non-conference games in all games he has coached since 1992.
The average score was Freeze 36.9, OPPONENT 21.0.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992: Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--MISS is 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
--Under is 4-1 in MISS last 5 Thursday games.
--Over is 9-3 in MISS last 12 games on fieldturf.

--BSU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--BSU is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.
--Under is 4-1 in BSU last 5 games on fieldturf.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 63 times, while the favorite covered the spread 28 times. *EDGE against the spread =BOISE ST. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 60 times, while the underdog won straight up 32 times. 50 games went under the total, while 39 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 57 times, while the favorite covered first half line 33 times. *No EDGE. 44 games went over first half total, while 42 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

_________________________________

#141 TEMPLE @ #142 VANDERBILT
TV: 9:15 PM EST, SEC Network
Line: Vanderbilt -14, Total: 52

Vanderbilt looks to extend its bowl streak to four years while rebuilding under former Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who takes over the helm from James Franklin. The Commodores must replace more than half their starters as they begin that quest against visiting Temple on Thursday evening after ending 2013 with five straight victories. Patton Robinette won a three-way competition for the Vanderbilt quarterback job and Temple counters with promising sophomore P.J. Walker under center.

Robinette came off the bench to help Vanderbilt beat Georgia and was the starter when the Commodores won at Florida for the first time in 68 years last season. "(Robinette) has really made strides and consistently improved from spring to now," Mason told reporters. Coach Matt Rhule begins his second season at Temple and expects progress from Walker, who threw 20 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in the last eight contests of 2013 while helping the Owls win their only two games.

•ABOUT TEMPLE (2013: 2-10): Walker (2,084 passing yards) should get solid support from a deep group of running backs, led by Kenneth Harper (613 rushing yards, nine TDs in 2013) and Zaire Williams (533 yards). However, an inexperienced offensive line will have to improve from last year when it allowed 32 sacks. Junior linebacker Tyler Matakevich keys the defense for the Owls after leading the nation in solo tackles per game (8.8) and being named first team All-American Athletic Conference.

•ABOUT VANDERBILT (2013: 9-4): Robinette threw four TD passes and five interceptions in 88 pass attempts last season for Franklin, who took over as Penn State’s new coach in the offseason. Juniors Jerron Seymour (716 rushing yards, 14 TDs) and Brian Kimbrow (341, three) provide experience in the backfield and sophomore Jordan Cunningham is poised to emerge as a big-time receiving target after Jordan Matthews left for the NFL. Mason will transition to a 3-4 base defense with only three returning starters.

•PREGAME NOTES: The Commodores have won nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program’s history.... Temple dropped a 43-14 decision at Vanderbilt in their last meeting in 2006.... Vanderbilt P Taylor Hudson was picked third team preseason All-SEC after averaging 42.9 yards in 2013.

•KEY STATS
--TEMPLE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was TEMPLE 25.0, OPPONENT 30.4.

--VANDERBILT is 16-2 UNDER (+13.8 Units) the 1rst half total in the first two weeks of the season since 1992.
The average score was VANDERBILT 9.5, OPPONENT 10.3.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
--TEMPLE is 1-0 against the spread versus VANDERBILT since 1992.
--VANDERBILT is 1-0 straight up against TEMPLE since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL since 1992.

--TEMPLE is 1-0 versus the first half line when playing against VANDERBILT since 1992.
--1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE FIRST HALF TOTAL since 1992.

•RECENT TRENDS
--TEM is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
--TEM is 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games in August.
--Under is 4-1 in TEM last 5 games in August.

--VAN is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
--VAN is 15-7 ATS in their last 22 home games.
--Over is 6-2 in VAN last 8 non-conference games.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 31 times, while the favorite covered the spread 18 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 44 times, while the underdog won straight up 5 times. 45 games went over the total, while 42 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 27 times, while the favorite covered first half line 20 times. *No EDGE. 42 games went under first half total, while 41 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.
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#143 RUTGERS vs. #144 WASHINGTON ST
TV: 10:00 PM EST, Fox Sports 1
Line: Washington St. -8, Total: 62

Rutgers makes its Big Ten Conference debut Thursday night when it meets Washington State for the first time - at Century Link Field in Seattle. The Scarlet Knights, who were picked to finish last in the seven-team East Division by Big Ten writers, enter a conference known for its physical play but head coach Kyle Flood said they are up to the challenge. "We've played physical offenses before, we've played bigger teams before," Flood told reporters. "We've never built our team to be the biggest team. It's not philosophically how we go about things. But when we've played at a high level, we've been able to compete with anybody in the country."

The Cougars, who were selected to finish fifth in the Pac-12's six-team North Division, should have no trouble scoring with record-setting quarterback Connor Halliday calling the signals, but stopping the opponent is another story. Washington State, which yielded 458 yards per game in 2013 - 102nd among the 123 FBS teams - returns its entire defensive line but must replace three starters in the secondary. One way to help the defense is to develop a running game, which was last in the nation at 53.4 yards per game last season - but the emergence of freshman Gerard Wicks and Jamal Morrow could also help take some pressure off Halliday.

•ABOUT RUTGERS (2013: 6-7): The Scarlet Knights will need a strong running game and junior Paul James (881 yards, 5.6 per carry, nine touchdowns) returns to carry the load. Ralph Friedgen, who coached Maryland from 2001-10 but has been unemployed for three years, was hired as offensive coordinator and is expected to help develop quarterback Gary Nova. The 6-2, 220-pound senior completed 54.5 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season.

•ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (2013: 6-7): Halliday, a 6-4, 210-pound senior from Spokane, Wash., passed for a school-record 4,597 yards in 2013 - second-most in Pac-12 history. Halliday also set school standards for completions (449) and attempts (714), and equaled the school record with 34 touchdown passes. Halliday, who threw 22 interceptions last season, welcomes a stronger running presence, telling the Spokesman-Review: "It’s huge. You’re not throwing into windows that are that small and the defensive line can’t pin their ears back and come upfield because if they do that we’ll hit them inside with a trap and get it right up the middle.”

•PREGAME NOTES: The Cougars return their top eight receivers including junior Gabe Marks, who hauled in a team-high 74 passes (10.9 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns.... Rutgers has won four of its last five season openers, with its blemish a 52-51 overtime setback at Fresno State last season.... Century Link Field, home of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, is nearly 300 miles from Washington State's campus in Pullman.

•KEY STATS
--RUTGERS is 32-14 UNDER (+16.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1992.
The average score was RUTGERS 27.7, OPPONENT 21.9.

--RUTGERS is 33-15 UNDER (+16.5 Units) in the first half of the season since 1992.
The average score was RUTGERS 24.1, OPPONENT 25.2.

•HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
All games in this series since 1992. Note: There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

•RECENT TRENDS
--Under is 4-0 in RUTG last 4 road games.
--Under is 5-1 in RUTG last 6 Thursday games.
--Under is 25-10 in RUTG last 35 non-conference games.

--WSU is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in August.
--WSU is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
--WSU is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games on fieldturf.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 19 times, while the underdog covered the spread 15 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 29 times, while the underdog won straight up 7 times. 10 games went under the total, while 9 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 21 times, while the underdog covered first half line 13 times. *No EDGE. 11 games went under first half total, while 8 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Texas A&M at South Carolina
By Joe Nelson

College football is back and the Thursday night schedule opens up with several big games. The SEC headlines the opening night slate with a matchup of two prominent programs as Texas A&M visits South Carolina. Mississippi and Vanderbilt are also in action for the SEC in later matchups on Thursday’s six-game slate.

Match-up: Texas A&M Aggies at South Carolina Gamecocks
Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina (grass)
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2014
Time/TV: 6:00 PM ET – SEC Network
Line: South Carolina -10.5, Over/Under 58
Last Meeting: None

The impact of Jonny Manziel at Texas A&M has been huge and it will be a great challenge for the Aggies to maintain its position among the elite teams in the SEC. While the Aggies did not win a championship in either of the past two seasons, Texas A&M went 20-6 with two bowl wins to wipe away mostly mediocre results in the past two decades. Most expected Texas A&M to struggle in the move to the SEC, but so far it has been a great success and the university is reaping the rewards in many ways, including another great recruiting class for Kevin Sumlin.

While Texas A&M will play a soft non-conference schedule in 2014, they draw one of the tougher overall schedules in the conference. There are no easy outs in the West division and the draw from the East features last year’s top two teams, with Missouri in November and this challenging opening game with South Carolina. The Aggies also have daunting travel with five of the first eight games of the season away from home and in addition to this visit to Columbia, the Aggies are playing on the road against both Alabama and Auburn this season.

Sophomore Kenny Hill has been named the starter for Texas A&M, beating out freshman Kyle Allen who many had projected to win the job. Hill did see the field last season, completing 16 passes while also rushing for 37 yards. He fits the bill as a dual-threat player that has some of the mobility that was so valuable for Manziel, and he is not much bigger than Manziel at just 6’1”.

Just as pressing as the loss at quarterback is, the loss of NFL draft pick Mike Evans who had monster numbers for the Aggies last season with nearly 1,400 receiving yards, while importantly bailing Manziel out on some of his wild scrambles. The Aggies have four receivers on the roster that had receptions last season, but the offense is very young at the skill positions. Even with the loss of several higher profile offensive linemen in recent years, the Aggies will still have an experienced unit that could be one of the best lines in the SEC, which should help the transition considerably.

While Manziel was the most talked about player at the NFL draft this spring, the #1 pick in the draft was South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. While Clowney did not have huge statistics last season, he certainly took a lot of attention from opposing teams. South Carolina actually took a substantial step back defensively in its 2013 statistics compared with 2012, though it marked a third consecutive season that South Carolina has finished 11-2 with a bowl win over a Big Ten team under Steve Spurrier, now in his 10th season with the program. It will be interesting to see if South Carolina can maintain its strong defensive reputation with a lot of new players in key spots this season.

South Carolina also lost its starting quarterback from last season in Connor Shaw, who ironically is with Manziel on the Cleveland Browns roster, at least for the time being. Shaw had a great college career also playing as a dual-threat quarterback though injuries kept him from having as consistent success. Missing some time has allowed Dylan Thompson, now a senior in the starting role to gain plenty of experience. Thompson threw for 783 yards last season including starting two games and he also started a game in the 2012 season. Thompson is much more of a pocket passer than Shaw so the Gamecocks will lean on the running backs this season.

Mike Davis is the lead running back for South Carolina and he averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season en route to a nearly 1,200 yard season. Davis had an injury scare earlier this month and has missed some practice with a rib injury, but he is expected to be a full participant for the opener. It is a position where South Carolina has some depth so it will be a committee approach for most of the season and especially in the opener as Texas A&M allowed 222 yards per game on the ground last season.

The Aggies do have a lot of experience on defense, including most of the key players on the defensive line returning to action, but statistically Texas A&M was the worst rush defense in the SEC season in 2013. Expect the Aggies to attempt to bottle up the run in this game and force Thompson to make some throws, but the Gamecocks also possess a veteran receiving corps that lost only one key player from last season’s rotation.

South Carolina is undefeated at home the past two seasons with consecutive 7-0 campaigns in Columbia, but there have been a few close calls with three wins by seven or fewer points in that span, all coming against SEC opponents. Texas A&M is actually 7-2 on the road under Sumlin and the most famous win for the program in this era came in a pretty tough venue in Tuscaloosa. This will be the biggest underdog spread for the Aggies since that 29-24 win over Alabama in 2012. The Aggies were twice a road underdog last season but they came up short in both instances.

Line Movement: The line opened at -11 before dropping to 10 and climbing back to 10.5 at most outlets. The total has climbed from 57 to 58.

Last Meeting: This is the first ever meeting between Texas A&M and South Carolina

Texas A&M Historical Trends: This program has not performed well away from home going just 66-93-3 ATS in road games since 1980 and the more recent numbers are no better with a 25-45-1 ATS record since 1999. Texas A&M is just 2-6 the last three years as an underdog and 25-41-1 ATS as an underdog going back to 2000. Texas A&M is 8-18 ATS as a road underdog of 10 or more points going back to 1982.

South Carolina Historical Trends: South Carolina is 32-3 S/U and 21-13 ATS at home since 2009. Under Spurrier South Carolina is 8-1 S/U but just 5-4 ATS in home openers, winning each of the last seven home openers S/U with covers in five of the last six. Under Spurrier, South Carolina is 25-17-2 ATS as a home favorite, losing outright just three times in those 44 games.

There are five additional games on the Thursday night opening slate – here is a quick look at two of the other prominent games:

Mississippi vs. Boise State (ESPN)
Line: Mississippi -10, Over/Under 54

This game will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, one of two games this weekend in the building as Alabama and West Virginia will face off Saturday in Atlanta. The Broncos have played in a number of big national openers against high profile teams, featuring mixed results including an ugly loss last season against Washington. After eight impressive seasons in Boise, Chris Petersen left for the Washington opening as a new era opens. Last season, Boise State fell to 8-5 for its worst season in over a decade but that was incredibly inexperienced team. This year’s team should be better as one of the favorites in the Mountain West though this is a tough opening draw for Bryan Harsin, who takes over after just one season at Arkansas State. After a 2-10 season in 2011, Hugh Freeze has led two successful seasons for the Rebels with bowl wins. The next step is competing for a SEC title and there is a lot of experience on this team, even though the Rebels are often forgotten in the loaded SEC West. With veteran QB and nine starters back on a very talented defense, Ole Miss could be a sleeper in the West division and the SEC as a whole. Both teams have great recent records in neutral site games with Mississippi going 17-5-1 ATS since 1985 and Boise State going 10-3 ATS since 2000.

Rutgers vs. Washington State (FOX1)
Line: Washington State -8, Over/Under 61

This game is a neutral site game in Seattle at CenturyLink Field. In the opening game last season on the road, Washington State out-gained Auburn in a tough 31-24 loss. Little did anyone know that Auburn would wind up playing for a national championship at the end of the season. While there were several ugly losses along the way, Washington State wound up back in the postseason in just the second season for Mike Leach in Pullman, though the season ended with a stunning bowl loss.

The Cougars allowed 458 yards per game last season, but the offense returns quarterback Connor Halliday and nearly the entire receiving corps as this will again be a very productive offensive team. Washington State has lost by combined score of 150-64 in the last three Seattle games, but there will be much more of a home-field edge this time around given the long travel for Rutgers.

Rutgers is pegged to be one of the bottom teams in its first season in the Big Ten, but the schedule is a huge factor in the lack of optimism. This is an experienced team and Kyle Flood has done a nice job in two seasons as Rutgers has made back-to-back bowl trips, exceeding most expectations. The strength of the Knights has been stopping the run in recent seasons and that won’t be much of an issue in this matchup, but Rutgers does have veteran lines that should allow the team to compete in this game if they can cash in on offensive opportunities to keep up with the high scoring Cougars. Rutgers has been a great team to back as an underdog in the last decade, going 46-22-2 ATS when getting points since 2002. Washington State is just 17-24 ATS as a favorite since 2003 and the Cougars are just 4-11 ATS in neutral site games since 2001.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Twins far from happy to see this pitcher
Justin Hartling

The Minnesota Twins will step into the batters box and see Jeremy Guthrie Thursday. In the Twins last six against the Kansas City Royals and Guthrie they are 1-5.

Guthrie has only allowed 13 runs over those six starts and has not once given up more than six hits.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pitcher can't defend home field against opponent
Justin Hartling

John Danks has only faced the Cleveland Indians a handful of times at U.S. Cellular Field, but it has not been friendly to him at all. In Danks' last six starts against the Indians in Chicago has seen him and the White Sox go 1-5.

Danks has given up seven or more hits in four of the games while also giving up more than five runs on four occasions.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Umpire has meant only good things for this team
Justin Hartling

The Baltimore Orioles are trying to widen their lead in the American League East and their chances look better with Lazaro Diaz behind home plate. The Orioles are 5-0 in the last five with Diaz behind home plate.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Under paying out with this pitcher on the mound
Justin Hartling

Hiroki Kuroda has enjoyed success facing the Detroit Tigers. In Kuroda's last four starts against the Tigers, the under has a flawless record.

Kuroda has not once allowed more than three runs against the Tigers in those starts.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

National League

Braves-Mets
Minor is 1-0, 1.84 in his last two starts.
Niese is 2-5, 5.64 in his last seven starts.

Atlanta lost three of its last four games.
Mets lost six of their last nine games.

Five of last seven New York games went over total.

Cubs-Reds
Arrieta is 1-1, 1.27 in his last three starts.
Axelrod allowed two runs in six IP in his first '14 start.

Cubs won seven of their last ten games.
Cincinnati lost 11 of its last 15 games.

Seven of last ten Chicago games stayed under; over is 9-4-1 in Cincinnati's last fourteen games.

Rockies-Giants
Lyles is 0-0, 5.63 in his last three starts.
Petit is 0-2, 8.17 in his last five starts, last of which was July 22. He's retired 37 batters in a row pitching in relief (six appearances) since then.

Colorado won six of its last nine games.
Giants won last two games, but are 12-24 in last 36 home games.

Four of last five Colorado games stayed under total.


American League

Rays-Orioles
Hellickson is 1-1, 2.22 in his last four starts. .
Norris is 3-1, 3.76 in his last five starts.

Tampa Bay lost seven of its last eleven games.
Orioles won four of their last five home games.

Nine of last twelve Baltimore games stayed under.

Bronx-Tigers
Kuroda is 2-0, 2.84 in his last two starts.
Lobstein is making first MLB start; he was 9-11, 4.07 in 25 AAA starts, and allowed three runs in 5.2 IP in his first MLB relief stint.

Bronx won six of its last seven games.
Detroit won seven of its last ten home games.

Eight of last twelve Bronx games stayed under total.

Twins-Royals
Milone is 0-1, 10.80 in three starts for Minnesota.
Guthrie is 5-1, 4.02 in his last six starts.

Minnesota lost eight of its last eleven games.
Royals won 21 of their last 27 games.

Seven of last eleven Minnesota games went over total.

Rangers-Astros
Tepesch is 0-1, 4.43 in his last three starts.
McHugh is 3-0, 1.76 in his last five starts.

Texas won three of its last four games.
Astros lost five of their last seven games.

Six of last nine Houston games stayed under total.

Indians-White Sox
Carrasco is 2-0, 0.50 in his last three starts
Danks is 0-2, 7.67 in his last five starts.

Cleveland won ten of its last fifteen games.
White Sox lost seven of their last eight games.

12 of last 15 Cleveland games stayed under total.

A's-Angels
Gray is 1-3, 6.12 in his last four starts.
Wilson is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts.

Oakland won four of last six games, but lost eight of last eleven on road.
Angels won 11 of their last 15 games.

Under is 10-4 in last fourteen Angel games.


Interleague games

None

Teams' record when this starting pitcher starts:
-- Arrieta 12-8; Axelrod 0-1
-- Lyles 9-7; Petit 3-3
-- Minor 10-10; Niese 12-12

-- Kuroda 12-14; Lobstein 0-0
-- Hellickson 3-4; Norris 13-9
-- Milone 9-7/2-1; Guthrie 15-11
-- Carrasco 3-4; Danks 11-15
-- Tepesch 7-9; McHugh 8-12
-- Gray 16-10; Wilson 12-12

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- Arrieta 5-20; Axelrod 0-1
-- Lyles 5-16; Petit 2-6
-- Minor 6-20; Niese 7-24

-- Kuroda 11-26 (5 of last 6); Lobstein 0-0
-- Hellickson 1-7; Norris 7-22
-- Milone 9-19; Guthrie 11-26 (4 of last 4)
-- Carrasco 2-7; Danks 7-26
-- Tepesch 6-16; McHugh 9-20
-- Gray 10-26 (3 of last 3); Wilson 5-24

Umpires
-- Chi-Cin-- Favorites won all five May games.
-- Col-SF-- Three of last four Hudson games stayed under.
-- Atl-NY-- Underdogs won 16 of last 22 Wegner games.

-- Min-KC-- Nine of last eleven Hickox games stayed under.
-- TB-Balt-- 12 of last 18 Diaz games went over the total.
-- NY-Det-- Favorites won eight of last ten Tumpane games.
-- Cle-Chi-- Visiting team won eight of last ten Porter games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS NFL REPORT

***** National Football League Preseason Week #4 *****
(ALL RESULTS ATS) - Against The Spread - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every week during the 2014-15 National Football League season we will analyze all of your daily football action, featuring all our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups. Content contained in this report remains exclusive private property of Stat/Systems Sports. Database information may not be reused or disseminated in any form without express written consent of the publisher.
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Pre-Season Betting News And Notes - Week #4
•League Fines Carroll, Seahawks $300K: The NFL has fined the Seattle Seahawks $300,000 for violating the collective bargaining agreement provision on offseason no-contact rules. ESPN reported that head coach Pete Carroll was fined $100,000 and the team $200,000. The Seahawks have been accused of allowing players to engage in "excessive levels of on-field contact" during the team's mandatory minicamp for veterans on June 16. In addition to the financial penalty, the team will lose two days of on-field two-a-days for veterans and will have its final day of minicamp limited. Players will be paid for the cancelled practice sessions. Carroll and the team also were fined in 2012 for a similar violation.

•Marino Joins Dolphins' Front Office: Dan Marino is coming home. The legendary Miami Dolphins quarterback has joined the team's front office. "It's official! I am excited about the future of this great organization!" Marino tweeted Sunday. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport broke the news that Marino's official title is special advisor. The team later confirmed the position via a statement on its website. "Dan is and will always be an important part of the Miami Dolphins and we are excited to get him involved in a more formal way," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in the statement.

"Dan is unquestionably one of the greatest players in NFL history and his enthusiasm and passion for the Dolphins is inspiring to everyone here." "I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role. I have always considered myself a Dolphin for life and I look forward to supporting the organization anyway I can," Marino said in the press release. This will be Marino's second foray with the Dolphins' front office. In 2004, Marino joined as senior vice president of football operations. However, he resigned just three weeks later, stating that the move was "not... in the best interests of either my family or the Dolphins."

•Broncos Acquire K McManus: In need of a kicker with Matt Prater suspended for the first four games of the regular season, the Denver Broncos acquired Brandon McManus from the New York Giants on Tuesday. The Broncos sent a conditional seventh-round draft pick to the Giants for the rights to McManus, an undrafted free agent from Temple. The 23-year-old McManus failed to beat out Josh Brown for a job with the Giants but was impressive in the preseason, kicking field goals of 46 and 47 yards. Of his 11 preseason kickoffs, 10 were touchbacks. The versatile McManus also can handle punting duties.

Mitch Ewald, a rookie from Indiana, was expected to get an audition for the job in the final preseason game on Thursday night, but was waived in conjunction with the McManus deal. Ewald was 0 of 1 on field goal attempts last week for the Broncos. If McManus does not make the final 53-player roster on Saturday during final cuts, the Broncos will not be required to compensate the Giants. Prater, one of the NFL's top kickers, was suspended for the first four games this season by the NFL because of a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy related to alcohol.

•Redskins Safety Meriweather To Appeal Suspension: Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather will appeal his two-game suspension that the NFL levied for his latest helmet-to-helmet blow, a hit his coach called a "legitimate football play." The NFL's statement on the hit Saturday at Baltimore, when officials ruled Meriweather hit Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith "with forcible contact to the head and neck area... on a pass play" cited no attempt to make a form tackle or wrap up the offensive player. Redskins head coach Jay Gruden is hoping that the league will reduce or revoke the penalty. "Unfortunately, for Brandon, he's got a history of these types of events," Gruden told reporters. This is the sixth time Meriweather has been cited for a violation of player safety rules.

"Whether or not it was significant enough to warrant a suspension is what they decided.... He tried to lower his target, I thought. I thought it was a legitimate football play, but the NFL didn't see it that way." The Redskins contend that Meriweather could not avoid a helmet-to-helmet hit has both he and Smith lowered their heads as a pass sailed incomplete across the middle. Smith said via Twitter that he does not think Meriweather should be suspended. He did add his feeling might be different if he had been injured on the play. The league suspended Meriweather for two games last season for helmet-first hits. After an appeal, that suspension was reduced to one game.

•Dolphins Part Ways With QB Quinn: At least Brady Quinn has a job with Fox. The veteran quarterback, who signed with Miami Dolphins two weeks ago, announced via Twitter on Tuesday that he had been released. "It was short lived, but I enjoyed every second. Thank you Miami Dolphins for the opportunity to play the game I love again. Best of luck to all the players and coaches this season," Quinn wrote. The Dolphins made other roster moves to reach the 75-player limit. They designated defensive tackle A.J. Francis, running back Mike Gillislee and tight end Arthur Lynch as reserve/injured and waived wide receivers Armon Binns and Ryan Spadola, tight end Brett Brackett, cornerback Steven Clarke, defensive tackle Cory Grissom and center Tyler Larsen.

Lynch was a fifth-round draft pick this year. Gillislee was drafted in the fifth round in 2013 but buried on the depth chart behind three other running backs. The 29-year-old Quinn had hoped to resurrect his career in Miami. The Dolphins were looking for some insurance for starter Ryan Tannehill and backup Matt Moore. Even though he hopes to keep playing, Quinn does have a television deal with Fox Sports. He also recently tried out with the New England Patriots. Quinn split last season between the New York Jets and the St. Louis Rams, but he did not throw a pass. He played in 10 games and made eight starts for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 compiling a 1-7 record. Counting his time from 2007-09 with the Cleveland Browns, he has a 4-16 career record as a starter. For his career, Quinn has a 53.8 percent completion rate, 12 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The Notre Dame product was Cleveland's first-round pick (22nd overall) in 2007.

•Bengals Make Roster Moves: The Cincinnati Bengals trimmed their roster before the Tuesday deadline to reach the 75-player limit mandated by the NFL. Quarterback Matt Scott, wide receiver Jasper Collins, linebacker James Davidson and second-year tight end Kevin Brock were released by the team. Linebacker JK Schaffer and cornerback LaVelle Westbrooks were waived/injured. Schaffer, a second-year linebacker from the University of Cincinnati, has a head injury and Westbrooks, a seventh-round draft pick from Georgia Southern, is sidelined with a thumb injury.

If they clear waivers on Wednesday, both will go on the Bengals' reserve/injured list. Schaffer played in only one preseason game after taking two blows to the head and suffering a concussion. Last year, he saw action in nine games and had three tackles on defense and six on special teams. Davidson and Scott, who didn't play in the Bengals' 19-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the third preseason game, are rookies. The Bengals wrap up the preseason schedule at home on Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts.
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NFL's Week #1 Biggest Underdogs
Systems Analyst William Stillman

The National Football League can see some huge spreads on a weekly basis. Last year the Jacksonville Jaguars were a 27-point underdog against the Denver Broncos and a 19-point dog against the Seattle Seahawks (they went 1-1 ATS). Lines of that magnitude, however, are rare, and big underdogs tend to stay in the 10- to 14-point range. Heading into the opening week of the 2014 season there is only one double-digit favorite, and most of the lines were set in the 2.5- to 3.5-point range, which should make handicapping Week #1 especially difficult for bettors.

There were a few other lines that may not be considered huge but could provide bettors with enough value to make a well-timed wager on an underdog plus the points. Let’s spend a few minutes and take a closer look at the biggest underdogs on the board for Week #1 and figure out which, if any, have the most value to wager on. Note: All lines come courtesy from Sportsbook.ag.

•Jacksonville Jaguars (+11) @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Jaguars are the biggest dog of the week , but they should be better than last year’s horrendous four-win squad. The team drafted an excellent quarterback in Blake Bortles and surrounded him with a couple of very good wide receivers they picked up in the second and third rounds of the draft. The trouble for Jacksonville is they do not plan to play Bortles unless there is an emergency or Chad Henne falters, and it could take a season or two for its talent to begin paying dividends.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are always stocked with offensive talent and have the high-paced system under second-year head coach Chip Kelly to score points in a hurry. Last year Philadelphia ended the season with an 8-8 ATS record, but it also took Jacksonville 15 weeks to lose by less than 10 points. This matchup is not a great spot to wager on the underdog.

•Indianapolis Colts (+7.5) @ Denver Broncos
At first glance, betting on Andrew Luck and the Colts at +7.5 points feels like a great spread. In 2013 the team produced a 10-6 ATS record and was never out of a game as Luck continually lead his team to multiple fourth-quarter comebacks. The trouble with the line is that Denver is a machine built on accuracy and precision that is also being led by the greatest regular-season quarterback of all time. Denver ended the 2013 season with an 11-5 ATS record and had 10 double-digit victories last season.

Indianapolis did beat Denver, however, during a Week #7 home matchup and has the offensive firepower to at least keep up with the Broncos. It is never wise to underestimate Peyton Manning, but the Colts could very well win this game. This matchup feels like a great spot to wager on a live underdog getting more than a touchdown’s worth of points.

•Buffalo Bills (+7) @ Chicago Bears
In 2013 the Bills were one of the worst road ATS squads in the league. The team produced a 1-6 record as a road underdog and failed to cover those spreads by a whopping seven points. Buffalo will have more experience on offense with their second-year quarterback EJ Manuel behind center, but it will probably struggling to score points yet again.

Buffalo will also have the rumors of the team being sold hanging over its head, and even though the team will certainly cover spreads, wagering on them during the 2014 NFL season might not be the best idea. The Bears will be a team with playoff potential, while the Bills are looking at another 7-9 or 8-8 season at best. This is not a great situation to wager on the underdog.
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September Trends To Watch
Systems Analyst Todd Smith

With Week #4 of the National Football League preseason coming to a close on Thursday night, and with all 16 teams hitting the gridiron. That means it is now September, and with it an array of NFL handicapping team trends are suddenly in play for fans and sports junkies alike. Listed below are some of the best and worst team performances during the opening month of the year. Team breakdowns include records at home, away, as a favorite, as an underdog, and in division games. Note: All results are ATS (Against The Spread) unless noted otherwise.

Home Teams

•Keep An Eye On (Good): The NFC North's Detroit Lions have been fast starters at home with a 27-16 ATS record (62.7%) in the opening month of the season, and will play host to the New York football Giants (9/8) and divisional foe Green Bay Packers (9/21).

•Keep An Eye On (Bad): Here we have home teams that frustrate wagering home fans. Cincinnati is the worst of the bunch at a miserable 13-25 versus the number (26.0%) and they will face the Atlanta Falcons along with the Tennessee Titans in Week’s #2 and #3.

--New head coach Jay Gruden will attempt to break the negative cycle in our Nation’s Capital as Washington sits 15-26 against the spread, just 36.5 percent when the Jacksonville Jaguars (9/14) and the New York Giants (9/25) arrive to face the team without an approved nickname any more.

--The Arizona Cardinals will have two shots to improve on their money-burning 13-22 against the spread record (37.1%) with the AFC West San Diego Chargers in the desert on the opening Monday night of the 2014 campaign and division rival San Francisco 13 days later.

Away Teams

•Bad: It has not mattered if Sam Bradford has been hurt or not or any other Rams quarterback for that matter, St. Louis has been a superior Play Against road team at 14-29 ATS, 32.5%. Because of an early bye on this year’s schedule there is just one chance to bet against the Rams: at Raymond James Stadium versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9/14).

•Keep An Eye On (Bad): This has been an unsolved mystery for years why the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a bad bet at 14-27 ATS (34.1%), and never quite ready to begin the season. Let’s see how they do on a short week at the Baltimore Ravens (9/11) and 10 days later at the Carolina Panthers.

--As good as Detroit has been at home during the month of September, that’s how bad they are away from the Motor City, just 37.2 percent at 16-27 versus the number dating back to 1971. Keep a watchful eye on them at the Carolina Panthers (9/14) and two weeks later in the New Jersey Meadowlands to take on the New York Jets.

Favorites

•Keep An Eye On (Good): The Seattle Seahawks, winners of Super Bowl XLVIII are moneymakers out of the gate at 27-15 ATS (64.2%) and should be favored in all three confrontations against very good competition, facing the Packers, at San Diego and a rematch with Denver in the first three weeks. Given the fact they are 17-1 straight-up and 13-5 versus the number at home the past two seasons behind QB Russell Wilson they will be hard to fade at CenturyLink Field.

•Bad: September has been a very bad month for several teams when listed as favorites. Let’s start with Carolina at 7-17 ATS (29.1%) and since they are lacking perimeter playmakers, they could be in trouble during the initial three weeks of the 2014 campaign being anticipated as favorites.

--Most likely Arizona (7-16 ATS, 30.4%) will only be favored once and that is the opener with the Chargers. With all the information about Sam Bradford and his injured knee flying around the internet fast and furiously... and some of its conflicting, the Rams (12-24 ATS, 33.3%) are a Week #1 home favorite versus the Minnesota Vikings, but Week #3 when Dallas is on the shores of the Mississippi River is up in the air right now.

•Keep An Eye On (Bad): As mentioned above, the Cincinnati Bengals will have two home encounters and will be dishing out points and with an 11-21 spread record in that role at 34.3 percent. You might have to look to the other side.

Underdogs

•Good: Especially in the Tony Romo era, betting against Dallas has been profitable to say the least. Nevertheless, the Cowboys have been money as underdogs the first three to four weeks of the season at 23-10 versus the number 69.6%. While we don’t know for certain, there is a possibility the Cowboys could be underdogs the entire month facing San Francisco (9/7) at Tennessee (9/14), at St. Louis (9/21) and when Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints travel to Texas on the final Sunday of September. Watch closely.

•Bad: Pittsburgh’s pathetic road record has translated into crummy results as an underdog, sitting at 9-20 against the spread, with just a thirty-one percent return on investment. Those two away outings to visit the Ravens and Panthers could mean more Play Against opportunities for NFL bettors.

Division

•Good: The Kansas City Chiefs have annually fared well against AFC West rivals early on in the season, recording a 22-11 against the spread record (66.6%), and makes the trip to Mile High Stadium to take on Denver in Week #2 to see if they can make their good fortune continue.

•Keep An Eye On (Bad): If you think you have seen Cincinnati’s name a lot as a Play Against squad in our Annual September Team Watch Article you are absolutely correct. And they fit again in AFC North action making the trip over to Baltimore on September 7th with a 12-20 ATS record in division action.
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Long-Shots To Win 2014 NFL MVP
Systems Analyst Larry Hertner

Since 2000, the National Football League Most Valuable Player Award has been given to a quarterback 10 times, with running backs picking up the other three MVP nods. And, heading into the 2014 season, oddsmakers have given football bettors little reason to believe that’s going to change. Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck all top the NFL MVP props board, but for those NFL offseason bettors looking for value, here are three live long shots to earn NFL’s top individual honor. Note: Odds courtesy of Sportsbook.ag.

•Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (+5,000)
There are rumblings in the Motor City that 2014 could finally be the year the Lions live up to expectations. Detroit is strong on both sides of the ball but Stafford headlines one of the most dynamic scoring attacks in the NFL, with Calvin Johnson (+2,000 to win MVP), Reggie Bush, and Golden Tate. If the Lions take the NFC North, we wouldn’t be surprised if Stafford’s name pops up in MVP chats – perhaps even splitting the honor with Megatron, like a Stockton-and-Malone dynamic.

•Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (+5,000)
The AFC North looks like it is up for grabs once again, and the Steelers come into 2014 with a bad taste in their mouths after missing out on the postseason the past two years. Roethlisberger watched his numbers skyrocket when Pittsburgh injected its offense with a no-huddle attack, throwing for 4,261 yards and 28 touchdowns. Big Ben still needs better protection from his offensive line, which allowed 2.7 sacks per game in 2013. But with Pittsburgh adding some pop to the running game, thanks Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, defenses won’t be able to tee off with the pass rush like they did when the Steelers stumbled for 86.4 rushing yards per game – fifth lowest in 2013.

•Arian Foster, Houston Texans (+15,000)
If the Texans are going to rise from the dead in the AFC South, a lot of that burden will fall on the injury-prone shoulders of Arian Foster. Houston’s defense should take care of business, so the offense won’t need to score a ton of points. However, with Ryan Fitzpatrick getting the starting job, the Texans are hoping Foster can return to his form of the previous three seasons, when he rumbled for a combined 4,264 yards and 41 touchdowns. A postseason return for Houston and a healthy, productive year from Foster could make him a very live long shot for MVP.
__________________________________________________ _______________

#101 ATLANTA @ #102 JACKSONVILLE
Line: Jaguars -4, Total: 39.5

Despite a very strong preseason from No. 3 overall pick Blake Bortles, the Jacksonville Jaguars will close their preseason against the Atlanta Falcons (6:00 PM EST) on Thursday evening by sticking to the original plan. Veteran quarterback Chad Henne will be the rebuilding Jaguars starter at the game's most important position during Week #1 of the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 7.

Both have performed admirably in Jacksonville's practice games thus far with Bortles finishing 10-of-16 passing for 158 yards and a touchdown last week in a 13-12 setback at Detroit. Overall, the No. 1 pick who is regarded as the future in Jacksonville, is 28-of-44 for 435 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 103.9 in the preseason. Henne, meanwhile, was 9-of-14 for 70 yards against the Lions and is 25-of-38 in the preseason for 230 yards and one touchdown, good for a 90.9 passer rating.

If things continue to go to plan for the Jags, this might be the last time Bortles plays in 2014. "It could be," Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley admitted. "I haven't talked to him about it. I just say 'hey, continue to prepare. You're a play away. You have to have that mindset like that. Just keep working and sitting in those meetings, take good notes.' "But I don't know, we haven't talked that much about it. It's been mostly this game, capture it and perform well in practice."

The Falcons will be trying to close their preseason slate on an up note after falling to the Tennessee Titans, 24-17, at the Georgia Dome last week. Matt Ryan was as sharp as ever for Atlanta, completing 18-of-23 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Julio Jones hauled in a 52-yard touchdown pass and Devin Hester brought in a 31-yard TD pass to highlight a four-reception, 56- yard effort for the Falcons. Jacquizz Rodgers carried the ball eight times for 33 yards and caught five passes for 31 yards in defeat.

These two clubs have met 10 times in the preseason, including each of the last four seasons. The Jaguars lead the all-time preseason series 7-3, including a 20-16 win at the Georgia Dome in 2013.

•KEY STATS
--ATLANTA is 24-9 UNDER (+14.1 Units) after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread since 1993.
The average score was ATLANTA 17.8, OPPONENT 15.9.

--ATLANTA is 12-3 UNDER (+8.7 Units) the 1rst half total off a home loss since 1993.
The average score was ATLANTA 9.0, OPPONENT 5.9.

--JACKSONVILLE is 15-1 ATS (+13.9 Units) after 2 consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better since 1993.
The average score was JACKSONVILLE 27.2, OPPONENT 15.6.

--JACKSONVILLE is 9-0 OVER (+9.0 Units) after being outrushed by 75 or more yards last game since 1993.
The average score was JACKSONVILLE 25.1, OPPONENT 25.0.

--JACKSONVILLE is 12-3 against the 1rst half line (+8.7 Units) after 2 consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better since 1993.
The average score was JACKSONVILLE 12.3, OPPONENT 8.3.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 21 times, while the favorite covered the spread 11 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 17 times, while the underdog won straight up 16 times. 22 games went under the total, while 19 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 41 times, while the favorite covered first half line 25 times. *No EDGE. 36 games went over first half total, while 19 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play On - Home teams of 3.5 to 10 points (JACKSONVILLE) - poor offensive team - scoring 17 or less points/game, after going under the total by 21 or more points total in their last three games, in non-conference games.
(30-5 since 1993.) (85.7%, +24.5 units. Rating = 4*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (30-5)
The average line posted in these games was: Team favored by 1.6
The average score in these games was: Team 23.5, Opponent 13.9 (Average point differential = +9.6)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 17 (48.6% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (2-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (4-1).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (11-3).
________________________________________________

#103 DETROIT @ #104 BUFFALO
Line: Bills -4.5, Total: 41

The Buffalo Bills will finish off an extended preseason slate by hosting the Detroit Lions (7:00 PM EST) on Thursday night. It's been a disappointing exhibition season overall for Buffalo, which fell to 1-3 last week when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into Orchard Park and built a big halftime lead behind touchdowns from Doug Martin and Mike Evans before holding on to top the Bills 27-14.

EJ Manuel played three quarters for the Bills and passed for 198 yards and a touchdown but also turned the ball over twice on a fumble and an interception. C.J. Spiller rushed for 36 yards and Fred Jackson and Mike Williams scored touchdowns in the loss as Buffalo played without rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins (ribs).

The Lions, on the other hand, are above water in the preseason after George Winn's 1-yard touchdown run with 7:12 remaining lifted Detroit over the Jacksonville Jaguars, 13-12, last week. Reggie Bush recorded an 86-yard TD run in the first quarter for the Lions, who won despite committing 15 penalties for 131 yards. Bush ended with two carries for 95 yards. Matthew Stafford, who played into the third quarter, completed 10-of-16 passes for 98 yards and an interception. Dan Orlovsky connected on 9-of-11 passes for 74 yards.

•KEY STATS
--DETROIT is 7-0 UNDER (+7.0 Units) in road games versus poor offensive teams - averaging <=4.75 yards/play since 1993.
The average score was DETROIT 12.6, OPPONENT 13.3.

--DETROIT is 7-0 against the 1rst half line (+7.0 Units) in all games where the first half total is between 18 and 21 over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was DETROIT 19.4, OPPONENT 6.9.

--DETROIT is 13-2 OVER (+10.8 Units) the 1rst half total in a road game where the first half total is between 19.5 and 21 since 1993.
The average score was DETROIT 11.8, OPPONENT 13.1.

--BUFFALO is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread since 1993.
The average score was BUFFALO 15.9, OPPONENT 20.5.

--BUFFALO is 36-19 UNDER (+15.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1993.
The average score was BUFFALO 15.3, OPPONENT 18.4.

--BUFFALO is 1-9 against the 1rst half line (-8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1993.
The average score was BUFFALO 3.9, OPPONENT 15.3.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 16 times, while the favorite covered the spread 4 times. *EDGE against the spread =DETROIT. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 12 times, while the underdog won straight up 9 times. 14 games went under the total, while 12 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 35 times, while the favorite covered first half line 19 times. *No EDGE. 22 games went over first half total, while 17 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (BUFFALO) - slow starting team - outscored by 5+ PPG in the first half against a poor punt coverage team, allowing more than 12 yards per return, after scoring 14 points or less last game.
(39-13 since 1993.) (75.0%, +24.7 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.9
The average first half score in these games was: Team 9.6, Opponent 12.8 (Total first half points scored = 22.4)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (6-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (12-3).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

#105 INDIANAPOLIS @ #106 CINCINNATI
Line: Bengals -2.5, Total: 41.5

he Indianapolis Colts will try to avoid a winless preseason when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals (7:00 PM EST) on Thursday night. The Colts latest setback came at the hands of Drew Brees when the veteran passed for 128 yards and two touchdowns as New Orleans outlasted Indianapolis, 23-17. Andrew Luck and Chandler Harnish each produced a TD pass for the Colts, who dropped to 0-3 in practice games. Luck started and was 10-of-18 for 103 yards with a pick for the hosts. Coby Fleener and Josh Lenz reached the end zone on passes, while Dan Herron led all rushers with 68 yards on eight carries.

The Bengals got their first preseason win last week when Terence Newman returned an interception for a touchdown and Cincinnati kicked four field goals en route to a 19-13 preseason victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Andy Dalton completed 13-of-21 passes for 157 yards for Cincinnati, while Mohamed Sanu and A.J. Green both caught five passes for 70 and 53 yards, respectively, in the triumph. Mike Nugent and Quinn Sharp, who were competing for the starting kicker job, each made two field goals. The veteran Nugent kept his job, however, as Sharp was released earlier this week.

•KEY STATS
--INDIANAPOLIS is 12-3 OVER (+8.7 Units) in road games off 1 or more consecutive unders since 1993.
The average score was INDIANAPOLIS 19.1, OPPONENT 24.2.

--INDIANAPOLIS is 14-4 OVER (+9.6 Units) in road games after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread since 1993.
The average score was INDIANAPOLIS 18.4, OPPONENT 26.1.

--INDIANAPOLIS is 24-7 OVER (+16.3 Units) the 1rst half total as a road underdog of 3.5 points or less versus the 1rst half line since 1993.
The average score was INDIANAPOLIS 10.3, OPPONENT 13.3.

--CINCINNATI is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) the 1rst half total versus poor offensive teams - averaging <=4.75 yards/play since 1993.
The average score was CINCINNATI 15.9, OPPONENT 9.1.

--CINCINNATI is 41-17 OVER (+22.3 Units) the 1rst half total in all games where the first half total is between 18 and 21 since 1993.
The average score was CINCINNATI 11.3, OPPONENT 11.9.

--CINCINNATI is 25-6 OVER (+18.4 Units) the 1rst half total off 1 or more consecutive unders since 1993.
The average score was CINCINNATI 12.6, OPPONENT 13.0.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 22 times, while the favorite covered the spread 13 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 21 times, while the underdog won straight up 17 times. 9 games went over the total, while 7 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 47 times, while the favorite covered first half line 35 times. *No EDGE. 12 games went over first half total, while 11 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (INDIANAPOLIS) - poor rushing team - averaging 3.5 or less rushing yards/carry, against a poor punt coverage team - allowing more than 12 yards per return, off 1 or more consecutive unders.
(70-37 over the last 5 seasons.) (65.4%, +29.3 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 19.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.3, Opponent 12.3 (Total first half points scored = 22.6)

The situation's record this season is: (11-8).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (39-18).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (128-83).
Since 1993 the situation's record is: (297-191).
__________________________________________________

#107 ST LOUIS @ #108 MIAMI
Line: Dolphins -3, Total: 39

It's next man up in St. Louis. Days after losing veteran starting quarterback Sam Bradford for the season with a torn ACL, Shaun Hill is set to take over the St. Louis Rams as they visit south Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins in the preseason finale for both clubs. The Rams routed Cleveland, 33-14, last week despite losing Bradford early in the contest. Bradford went down on the game's opening drive after throwing an incomplete pass.

He was pressured and hit high by Browns defensive lineman Armonty Bryant. "It wasn't a high impact. ACL injuries, they're all different. This was just kind of a hyperextension and you just had impact come from the outside," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "The knee was locked and something has to give, and unfortunately the ACL gave." The former No. 1 overall draft pick missed the Rams' final nine games last season after tearing the ACL in the same knee. He completed 4-of-9 passes for 77 yards before departing. "We lost our starting quarterback, but for Sam personally, it's devastating," Fisher said.

"The news was devastating to him as you can appreciate. Anyone that's gone through that procedure and the rehab understands, and to have it happen again within the calendar year is very, very difficult." Third-string QB Austin Davis saw significant playing time for the Rams and threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard connection with Chris Givens. Hill, 34, last started a game for Detroit during the 2010 season. "We move forward as a football team. Shaun is our guy," Fisher added. "We brought him here. He's got experience. We've got all the confidence in the world in him."

The Dolphins got into the black this preseason last week when Orleans Darkwa scored on a 1-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give Miami a 25-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Darkwa finished with 70 rushing yards on six carries. Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill converted 13-of-21 passes for 119 yards and an interception, while Matt Moore went 12-for-19 for 172 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Mike Wallace hauled in six passes for 67 yards for Miami.

The Dolphins and Rams have split four previous preseason games.

•KEY STATS
--ST LOUIS is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was ST LOUIS 23.9, OPPONENT 23.0.

--ST LOUIS is 0-8 against the 1rst half line (-8.8 Units) after a win by 14 or more points since 1993.
The average score was ST LOUIS 6.6, OPPONENT 15.9.

--ST LOUIS is 25-8 OVER (+16.2 Units) the 1rst half total as a road underdog versus the 1rst half line since 1993.
The average score was ST LOUIS 10.2, OPPONENT 13.8.

--ST LOUIS is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) the 1rst half total in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was ST LOUIS 14.4, OPPONENT 11.7.

--MIAMI is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was MIAMI 15.8, OPPONENT 20.8.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 20 times, while the favorite covered the spread 14 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 20 times, while the underdog won straight up 16 times. 20 games went under the total, while 13 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 47 times, while the favorite covered first half line 31 times. *No EDGE. 39 games went over first half total, while 24 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (MIAMI) - outgaining opponent by 40 or more passing yards/game on the season, after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a losing record.
(51-21 since 1993.) (70.8%, +27.9 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.5
The average first half score in these games was: Team 12, Opponent 9.8 (Total first half points scored = 21.8)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (12-3).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (20-11).
_________________________________________________

#109 NY JETS @ #110 PHILADELPHIA
Line: Eagles -2.5, Total: 44.5

Thursday's final preseason game between the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles had a chance to be more compelling than your average exhibition finale. With ex-Eagles starter Michael Vick set to back up Geno Smith with the Jets and former New York starter Mark Sanchez getting ready to serve as Nick Foles' caddy in Philly, things could have gotten interesting.

But, Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly pulled the plug on any of that by saying he would sit both Foles and Sanchez in favor of third-stringer Matt Barkley. Vick, meanwhile, will start for the Jets but don't blink. "Vick will start at quarterback, but don't expect him to play long," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. New York is trying to finish with its head above water in the preseason and build on the solid performances of Smith, who has completed 23-of-33 passes (69.7 percent) for 268 yards with one touchdown, and has also rushed for another score.

After the second-year player's performance in a setback to the Giants last week, in which he completed 9-of-14 passes for 137 yards with one touchdown with a 120.2 passer rating, Smith was officially named the starter for the regular season by Ryan. "He's done everything that we've asked," Ryan said. "It's a big deal," Smith added. "But nothing's going to change for me. I think I did some good things, but I've got work to do."

For the Eagles, Foles led the team to three first-half scores last week in a 31-21 win over Pittsburgh. The Pro-Bowl quarterback enters the 2014 regular season looking to build on last season's breakout performance in which he led the NFL with a 119.2 passer rating, the third-highest single-season mark in NFL history. "I feel like we're improving every week," Foles said of his team. "We have to keep moving forward."

•KEY STATS
--NY JETS are 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) in road games against NFC East division opponents since 1993.
The average score was NY JETS 19.6, OPPONENT 16.3.

--NY JETS are 0-7 against the 1rst half line (-7.7 Units) versus excellent punt coverage teams, allowing <= 7.5 yards per return since 1993.
The average score was NY JETS 6.6, OPPONENT 13.6.

--NY JETS are 12-2 UNDER (+9.8 Units) the 1rst half total off 2 or more consecutive overs since 1993.
The average score was NY JETS 6.9, OPPONENT 9.3.

--PHILADELPHIA is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games against AFC East division opponents since 1993.
The average score was PHILADELPHIA 18.2, OPPONENT 21.1.

--PHILADELPHIA is 8-1 OVER (+6.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was PHILADELPHIA 27.2, OPPONENT 22.8.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 9 times, while the favorite covered the spread 5 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 8 times, while the underdog won straight up 8 times. 1 games went over the total, while 0 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 29 times, while the favorite covered first half line 25 times. *No EDGE. 6 games went over first half total, while 0 games went under first half total. *EDGE against first half total =OVER.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Against - All teams where the line is +3 to -3 (PHILADELPHIA) - with a terrible passing defense - allowing a completion percentage of 64% or worse, after 2 straight games allowing 63% or higher completion pct (20 att).
(26-6 since 1993.) (81.2%, +19.4 units. Rating = 3*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (25-9)
The average line posted in these games was: Team favored by 1.2
The average score in these games was: Team 23.5, Opponent 15.1 (Average point differential = +8.4)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 15 (46.9% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (7-1).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (10-2).
________________________________________________

#111 KANSAS CITY @ #112 GREEN BAY
Line: Packers -3, Total: 42

The Kansas City Chiefs will wrap up their preseason slate by traveling to storied Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers (7:00 PM EST) on Thursday evening. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been one of the stars of the preseason, ranking second in the National Football League and leading all tight ends with 185 receiving yards. The second-year player has hauled in 10 receptions with two touchdowns in the practice games and is averaging 18.5 yards per catch.

Last week in a 30-12 loss against Minnesota, Kelce had a team-high 49 yards on four receptions and has led his club in receiving yards in all three preseason contests. "He's going to add another element to the tight end position," said Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith when discussing Kelce. "He'll stretch some defenses and do some things with the ball in his hands. It's exciting to see."

The Packers and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, look ready for the regular season. Rodgers has completed 20-of-33 passes (60.6 percent) for 267 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 116.6 passer rating in two appearances during the preseason. Last week in a win against Oakland, Rodgers threw for two scores and Pro Bowl running back Eddie Lacy, who was the 2013 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushed for one TD. "I think we're ready," said Rodgers. "It's been a good preseason. We've scored points and moved the ball."

This marks the fifth consecutive time that the Chiefs and Packers will close out the preseason against one another. Kansas City is 7-7-1 all-time in practice games versus the Packers.

•KEY STATS
--KANSAS CITY is 14-37 ATS (-26.7 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1993.
The average score was KANSAS CITY 15.3, OPPONENT 20.8.

--KANSAS CITY is 15-35 ATS (-23.5 Units) after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread since 1993.
The average score was KANSAS CITY 16.0, OPPONENT 19.7.

--GREEN BAY is 0-8 against the 1rst half line (-8.8 Units) versus poor kickoff coverage teams, allowing >= 24 yards per return since 1993.
The average score was GREEN BAY 5.9, OPPONENT 15.3.

--GREEN BAY is 31-15 OVER (+14.5 Units) the 1rst half total as a favorite versus the 1rst half line since 1993.
The average score was GREEN BAY 11.7, OPPONENT 10.5.

--GREEN BAY is 35-18 OVER (+15.2 Units) the 1rst half total when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.
The average score was GREEN BAY 11.1, OPPONENT 11.1.

--GREEN BAY is 42-24 OVER (+15.6 Units) the 1rst half total in non-conference games since 1993.
The average score was GREEN BAY 9.5, OPPONENT 11.5.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 21 times, while the underdog covered the spread 21 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 25 times, while the underdog won straight up 17 times. 6 games went over the total, while 6 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 47 times, while the favorite covered first half line 45 times. *No EDGE. 14 games went over first half total, while 11 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (KANSAS CITY) - poor team - outscored by opponents by 4 or more points/game, after scoring 7 points or less in the first half in 2 straight games, off 1 or more consecutive unders.
(41-8 since 1993.) (83.7%, +32.2 units. Rating = 5*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.6, Opponent 12.6 (Total first half points scored = 23.2)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (9-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (16-5).
________________________________________________

#113 NEW ENGLAND @ #114 NY GIANTS
Line: Giants -3, Total: 41

What has become a traditional preseason finale renews at MetLife Stadium (7:30 PM EST) on Thursday evening when the New York Giants try to complete a perfect preseason against the New England Patriots. This will be the 10th straight year that the Giants and Patriots have clashed in the final preseason game. The clubs have been frequent exhibition opponents, squaring off in the preseason openers for three straight years from 2001-03 before resuming the series in 2005 when they started to meet in the preseason finale.

The Giants lead the overall preseason rivalry with a 14-9 advantage in 23 previous meetings. For New England this marks the third straight week in which they will do battle against a team the Patriots have faced in a Super Bowl. having played Philadelphia (Super Bowl XXXIX and Carolina (Super Bowl XXXVIII) in the previous two preseason games. The Patriots and Giants met in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.

New England improved to 2-1 in the preseason last week when Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to Shane Vereen as New England routed the Panthers, 30-7. Brady completed 17-of-21 passes for 204 yards while playing into the third quarter. He connected with Vereen for scores of 40 and six yards. Second-round draft pick Jimmy Garoppolo, who is competing with Ryan Mallett for the backup quarterback job, hooked up with Taylor McCuller for an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Stephen Gostkowski made three field goals, including a 60-yarder in the waning seconds of the first half.

The Giants, meanwhile, improved to 4-0 in an extended preseason for them when Ryan Nassib threw three touchdown passes and the Big Blue rallied past their co-tenants at MetLife, the New York Jets, 35-24. Nassib went 8-for-12 with 103 yards in relief of Eli Manning, who was under center for the Giants in the first half and completed 12-of-21 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Rashad Jennings gained 67 yards on 13 carries for the G-Men while Victor Cruz picked up 61 yards through the air on four receptions.

•KEY STATS
--NEW ENGLAND is 11-2 against the 1rst half line (+8.8 Units) after scoring 30 points or more last game since 1993.
The average score was NEW ENGLAND 14.4, OPPONENT 10.1.

--NEW ENGLAND is 7-0 against the 1rst half line (+7.0 Units) after gaining 400 or more total yards in their previous game since 1993.
The average score was NEW ENGLAND 17.6, OPPONENT 4.3.

--NEW ENGLAND is 12-3 OVER (+8.7 Units) the 1rst half total off a home win by 10 points or more since 1993.
The average score was NEW ENGLAND 12.9, OPPONENT 10.7.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 12 times, while the underdog covered the spread 8 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 17 times, while the underdog won straight up 4 times. 17 games went over the total, while 9 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 28 times, while the underdog covered first half line 22 times. *No EDGE. 32 games went over first half total, while 9 games went under first half total. *Edge against first half total =OVER.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Home teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (NY GIANTS) - in non-conference games, off an upset win by 10 or more as a road underdog, good team - outscoring opponents by 4 or more points/game.
(47-17 since 1993.) (73.4%, +28.3 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 19
The average first half score in these games was: Team 11.6, Opponent 10.9 (Total first half points scored = 22.4)

The situation's record this season is: (1-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (8-3).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (11-3).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (23-7).
________________________________________________

#115 WASHINGTON @ #116 TAMPA BAY
Line: Buccaneers -3, Total: 38.5

It might not be a full blown quarterback controversy just yet but Robert Griffin III better start playing a little better for the Washington Redskins, who will conclude their 2014 preseason slate (7:30 PM EST) on Thursday evening when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Some high-profile supporters of backup Kirk Cousins have started to get more vocal inside the Beltway as RG3 continues to struggle in the preseason.

Last Saturday, the Redskins suffered their first defeat in exhibition play, dropping a 23-17 decision to the Baltimore Ravens. The loss was the Redskins' first in preseason play since Aug. 18, 2012 at Chicago, a span of 736 days. Overall Washington has won eight of its last nine practice games. Against the Ravens, Griffin went just 5-of-8 for 20 yards with an interception, while Cousins threw for 122 yards on 14-of-20 efficiency with touchdowns to Santana Moss and Nick Williams.

"It's going to be a decision that (head coach) Jay Gruden is going to have to make," former 'Skins star and current Redskins Broadcast Network analyst Joe Theismann said. "Right now, Robert Griffin III is his quarterback. Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn't be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe he would have to go to, because of the efficiency with which he has run (the offense)."

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, made a slash on the field last week and one off it this week. Tampa Bay built a big halftime lead behind touchdowns from Doug Martin and Mike Evans, and held on from there to beat the Buffalo Bills, 27-14, on Saturday. Josh McCown passed for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the first half as the Buccaneers got their first win in three preseason games. Evans had three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown while Martin had 12 carries for 38 yard. Mike Glennon completed five of his seven passes for 44 yards in the second half.

The Bucs then pulled off a stunning trade with the New England Patriots, acquiring six-time Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins in exchange for tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round pick in 2015. Mankins, a first-round selection of New England in 2005 who has started 130 games during an impressive nine-year run with the Patriots, fills an obvious need on a Buccaneers' offensive line that lost left guard Carl Nicks to a possible career-ending toe injury.

"We feel very fortunate just to have Logan," said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who formerly worked for the Patriots as the team's director of pro personnel. "He's a very good player. [I'm] a first-hand witness of what he means to the locker room as well. Any time you have five consecutive Pro Bowls, All-Pro player - I mean, [that's] a lot of accolades. But he's a great person. He's going to be great for that room, he's going to be great for this locker room."

•KEY STATS
--WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) versus poor rushing teams - averaging <=3.5 rushing yards/carry since 1993.
The average score was WASHINGTON 15.0, OPPONENT 22.6.

--WASHINGTON is 8-21 against the 1rst half line (-15.1 Units) in road games off 1 or more consecutive unders since 1993.
The average score was WASHINGTON 7.2, OPPONENT 12.2.

--TAMPA BAY is 0-7 against the 1rst half line (-7.7 Units) in all games where the first half total is between 18 and 21 over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was TAMPA BAY 7.6, OPPONENT 18.3.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 9 times, while the underdog covered the spread 7 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 11 times, while the underdog won straight up 6 times. 21 games went under the total, while 10 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 21 times, while the favorite covered first half line 19 times. *No EDGE. 24 games went under first half total, while 22 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (TAMPA BAY) - with a poor offense - averaging 285 or less total yards/game, against a good team - outscoring opponents by 4 or more points/game, after gaining 250 or less total yards in 2 consecutive games.
(36-6 since 1993.) (85.7%, +29.4 units. Rating = 5*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 12, Opponent 11.2 (Total first half points scored = 23.3)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (0-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (2-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (8-3).
_______________________________________________

#117 CAROLINA @ #118 PITTSBURGH
Line: Steelers -5, Total: 37.5

The Carolina Panthers will close the preseason (7:30 PM EST) Thursday night in the Steel City against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Panthers still have plenty of questions that need to be answered after last week's 30-7 drubbing at the hands of New England. "We want to try to get a good look at a number of players to help us make the right roster decisions," said Carolina head coach Ron Rivera. "At the same time, we need to find consistency that was lacking against New England."

The Panthers will also have to make those decisions without starting quarterback Cam Newton, who suffered a fractured rib against the Patriots. Newton suffered the injury late in the second quarter when he scrambled and absorbed a hit from Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. He remained in the game until the third quarter and finished 8-of-12 for 88 yards. Joe Webb spoiled New England's shutout bid with a late TD pass. Rivera remains optimistic that Newton, who also had offseason ankle surgery, will be able to play in the Sept. 7 opener at Tampa Bay.

The Steelers are also dealing with some issues after a 31-21 setback at Philadelphia. Ben Roethlisberger played into the third quarter against the Eagles and finished the game 15- for-24 for 157 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Steelers, who are 1-2 on the preseason. A day after being pulled over for marijuana possession the Pittsburgh running back tandem of Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount played and combined for 16 carries and 55 yards, along with four catches for 17 yards.

The two ball carriers and a female friend were arrested after Ross Township Police smelled the scent of marijuana coming from a black Camaro that Bell was driving. The three jointly admitted to possessing the marijuana and Bell is facing charges of possessing and driving under the influence, while Blount has to deal with those same possession charges. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin ultimately decided against any suspension, passing potential punishment off to the league while leaning on the logic that missing a preseason game would be a "reward" to players like Bell and Blount, who aren't fighting for a roster spot.

The Steelers have been Carolina's most common preseason opponent. Pittsburgh leads the preseason series 10-5.

•KEY STATS
--CAROLINA is 8-23 against the 1rst half line (-17.3 Units) against AFC North division opponents since 1993.
The average score was CAROLINA 8.1, OPPONENT 12.5.

--PITTSBURGH is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1993.
The average score was PITTSBURGH 22.8, OPPONENT 14.8.

--PITTSBURGH is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was PITTSBURGH 16.1, OPPONENT 22.6.

--PITTSBURGH is 12-1 against the 1rst half line (+10.9 Units) against NFC South division opponents since 1993.
The average score was PITTSBURGH 12.4, OPPONENT 6.3.

--PITTSBURGH is 9-1 against the 1rst half line (+7.9 Units) after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored since 1993.
The average score was PITTSBURGH 16.0, OPPONENT 8.7.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 20 times, while the favorite covered the spread 19 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 25 times, while the underdog won straight up 14 times. 29 games went under the total, while 27 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 41 times, while the underdog covered first half line 37 times. *No EDGE. 60 games went over first half total, while 25 games went under first half total. *EDGE against first half total =OVER.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (CAROLINA) - off 1 or more consecutive unders, poor team - outscored by opponents by 4 or more points/game, in a game involving two poor rushing teams (70-95 RY/game).
(41-8 since 1993.) (83.7%, +32.2 units. Rating = 5*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.6, Opponent 12.6 (Total first half points scored = 23.2)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (9-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (16-5).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

#119 MINNESOTA @ #120 TENNESSEE
Line: Titians -2, Total: 41.5

The Minnesota Vikings will try to complete a perfect preseason under first-year head coach Mike Zimmer when they visit Music City to take on the Tennessee Titans. The Vikings kept their unbeaten record alive last week with a convincing 30-12 road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. They are one of four undefeated teams entering the final week of the preseason. In the win, quarterback Matt Cassel passed for 152 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown to Cordarrelle Patterson.

Rookie backup Teddy Bridgewater added a pair of touchdown passes to tight end Allen Reisner. Meanwhile, the Vikings defense intercepted the Chiefs three times. Zimmer then told his team Monday that the veteran Cassel will be their starting quarterback when they take the field for the season opener on Sept. 7 at St. Louis. "We will hold the quarterback position to the expectation that we hold all positions. If you perform, you'll play," said Zimmer.

Cassel, who began the 2013 season behind Christian Ponder with the Vikings, completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,807 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine games (six starts) last season. The USC product completed 26-of-39 passes for 367 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a 103.3 rating in the preseason. Bridgewater, the No. 32 overall pick from Louisville, connected on 26-of-40 passes for 266 yards with four touchdowns during the preseason. "I told Teddy that it was not anything he did or didn't do," said Zimmer.

The Titans were on the road last week for the second consecutive preseason game and, after falling behind by two touchdowns, they scored 21 unanswered points to defeat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-17, at the Georgia Dome. Bishop Sankey's three-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion provided the winning margin with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Titans quarterback Jake Locker played with the rest of the starters into the second half. The fourth-year signal caller was 12-of-17 for 188 yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 126.6. His 63-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nate Washington sparked the team's comeback.

The Vikings and Titans have played six times during the preseason with Minnesota holding a 5-1 series lead.

•KEY STATS
--MINNESOTA is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) vs. poor punt return teams, less than 7.5 yards per return since 1993.
The average score was MINNESOTA 25.7, OPPONENT 18.9.

--TENNESSEE is 33-13 OVER (+18.7 Units) the 1rst half total when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.
The average score was TENNESSEE 11.7, OPPONENT 9.6.

--TENNESSEE is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) the 1rst half total in home games off a upset win as an underdog since 1993.
The average score was TENNESSEE 12.7, OPPONENT 10.0.

--TENNESSEE is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) the 1rst half total in home games off an upset win as a road underdog since 1993.
The average score was TENNESSEE 12.7, OPPONENT 10.0.

--TENNESSEE is 11-1 OVER (+9.9 Units) the 1rst half total off a road win sin
The average score was TENNESSEE 12.5, OPPONENT 9.7.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 11 times, while the favorite covered the spread 7 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the underdog won the game straight up 10 times, while the favorite won the game straight up 8 times. 8 games went over the total, while 4 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 20 times, while the underdog covered first half line 18 times. *No EDGE. 13 games went over first half total, while 4 games went under first half total. *EDGE against first half total =OVER.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (MINNESOTA) - in non-conference games, off a upset win by 14 points or more as an underdog, good team - outscoring opponents by 4 or more points/game.
(36-15 since 1993.) (70.6%, +19.5 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 19.2
The average first half score in these games was: Team 11.2, Opponent 10.8 (Total first half points scored = 22)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (5-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (9-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (14-4).
________________________________________________

#121 SAN FRANCISCO @ #122 HOUSTON
Line: Texans -3, Total: 38.5

The Houston Texans will close out the preseason against the San Francisco 49ers (8:00 PM EST) Thursday at NRG Stadium. The Texans are coming off an 18-17 come-from-behind win at Denver last Saturday. Rookie quarterback Tom Savage led Houston on its game-winning drive, hitting tight end Ryan Griffin for a 31-yard touchdown with 59 seconds remaining and then connecting with receiver Travis Labhart on the ensuing 2- point conversion attempt.

Starting signal caller Ryan Fitzpatrick went 10-for-17 for 80 yards and Jonathan Grimes scored a rushing touchdown in the win. The Texans' defense also continued its solid second-half play against Denver, holding its opponent scoreless for the second consecutive game. Houston hasn't allowed any points in the third quarter and has allowed just 12 points in the second half through three preseason games.

The 49ers, meanwhile, defeated San Diego, 21-7, on Sunday for their first win of the preseason. Vance McDonald caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert with 46 seconds remaining in the first half for what turned out to be the game-winning score. Starting signal caller Colin Kaepernick was 6-of-12 for 59 yards while rookie second-round selection Carlos Hyde carried the ball six times for 38 yards. McDonald finished with three receptions for 29 yards and the touchdown for the 49ers.

Thursday's game will be just the third preseason meeting between the two teams. Houston defeated San Francisco 30-7 in the 2011 preseason and 20-9 in the 2012 preseason.

•KEY STAT
--SAN FRANCISCO is 7-18 against the 1rst half line (-12.8 Units) off a home win since 1993.
The average score was SAN FRANCISCO 8.2, OPPONENT 12.9.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 24 times, while the favorite covered the spread 17 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 26 times, while the underdog won straight up 18 times. 30 games went under the total, while 19 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 46 times, while the favorite covered first half line 39 times. *No EDGE. 40 games went under first half total, while 35 games went over first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (SAN FRANCISCO) - terrible offensive team (<=265 YPG) against a team with a terrible defense (>=370 YPG), off 1 or more consecutive unders, poor team - outscored by opponents by 4 or more points/game.
(41-8 since 1993.) (83.7%, +32.2 units. Rating = 5*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.6, Opponent 12.6 (Total first half points scored = 23.2)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (9-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (16-5).
________________________________________________

#123 CHICAGO @ #124 CLEVELAND
Line: Browns -5, Total: 42

With the quarterback decision in the rear-view mirror for now, the Cleveland Browns and new coach Mike Pettine will be aiming to avoid a winless preseason when they square off with the Chicago Bears at First-Energy Stadium. St. Louis routed Cleveland, 33-14, last week despite losing quarterback Sam Bradford to a torn ACL in his left knee. Bradford went down on the game's opening drive after throwing an incomplete pass. He was pressured and hit high by Browns defensive lineman Armonty Bryant.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick missed the Rams' final nine games last season after tearing the ACL in the same knee. Named the Browns' starting quarterback over rookie Johnny Manziel to begin the season, Brian Hoyer had only 84 yards passing while playing into the third quarter. Hoyer did throw a touchdown pass to Andrew Hawkins, but he was also intercepted once and lost a fumble on a sack. Manziel passed for 85 yards and ran for a touchdown, and was sacked by rookie defensive end Michael Sam.

The Bears, meanwhile, received a wake-up call from the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who trounced Chicago, 34-6, in the Pacific Northwest last week. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks were in midseason form as the signal-caller threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in leading Seattle to points on all five of his drives in the first half. The third-year pro completed 15- of-20 passes for 202 yards and connected with Jermaine Kearse and backup running back Christine Michael for scores.

Jay Cutler and Chicago's starters were decidedly less impressive in their only half of action. Cutler tossed for 157 yards on 12-of-20 passes, while Matt Forte was limited to 17 yards on three carries. The Bears had a touchdown reversed and another nullified by a Brandon Marshall offensive pass interference penalty late in the second quarter.

This contest marks the 11th straight year that Cleveland and Chicago will face off during the preseason finale. During that span, the series is even at 5-5, but the Browns hold an 18-11 all-time edge in the preseason.

•KEY STATS
--CHICAGO is 15-5 OVER (+9.5 Units) in road games off 1 or more consecutive unders since 1993.
The average score was CHICAGO 17.4, OPPONENT 24.8.

--CHICAGO is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) the 1rst half total when playing against a team with a losing record since 1993.
The average score was CHICAGO 13.1, OPPONENT 12.0.

--CHICAGO is 16-4 OVER (+11.6 Units) the 1rst half total in road games when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.
The average score was CHICAGO 10.3, OPPONENT 13.4.

--CHICAGO is 17-4 OVER (+12.6 Units) the 1rst half total after gaining 75 or less rushing yards last game since 1993.
The average score was CHICAGO 12.6, OPPONENT 13.2.

--CLEVELAND is 26-12 OVER (+12.8 Units) the 1rst half total against NFC North division opponents since 1993.
The average score was CLEVELAND 11.8, OPPONENT 11.2.

--CLEVELAND is 15-2 OVER (+12.8 Units) the 1rst half total after gaining 75 or less rushing yards last game since 1993.
The average score was CLEVELAND 12.3, OPPONENT 11.2.

--CLEVELAND is 11-2 OVER (+8.8 Units) the 1rst half total after being outgained by opponent by 100 or more total yards last game since 1993.
The average score was CLEVELAND 12.4, OPPONENT 12.4.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 16 times, while the favorite covered the spread 5 times. *EDGE against the spread =CHICAGO. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 11 times, while the underdog won straight up 10 times. 11 games went over the total, while 10 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 20 times, while the favorite covered first half line 19 times. *No EDGE. 17 games went over first half total, while 6 games went under first half total. *EDGE against first half total =OVER.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (CHICAGO) - slow starting team - outscored by 5+ PPG in the first half, after scoring 7 points or less in the first half in 2 straight games.
(41-8 since 1993.) (83.7%, +32.2 units. Rating = 5*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.6, Opponent 12.6 (Total first half points scored = 23.2)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (4-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (9-0).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (16-5).
________________________________________________

#125 BALTIMORE @ #126 NEW ORLEANS
Line: Saints -3, Total: 43.5

A pair of Super Bowl contenders hoping to finish off perfect preseason’s meet in the Bayou (8:00 PM EST) on Thursday evening when the New Orleans Saints host the Baltimore Ravens. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has completed 29-of-45 passes for 345 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 102.5 passer rating in three preseason games under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, the former head coach in Houston.

In last week's win over Washington, Flacco connected on 16-of-23 passes for 180 yards with one touchdown to the newly acquired Steve Smith, a 24- yarder. "I'm ready," said Flacco about the start of the regular season. "Everybody is ready for real live games. Get out there and go." Flacco's counterpart with the Saints, Drew Brees, has struggled with an oblique strain in August but saw his first action last week and the Pro Bowl quarterback was sharp.

He completed 9-of-15 passes for 128 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 127.2 passer rating as New Orleans improved to 3-0 with a 23-17 win in Indianapolis. "I feel like it was a progression throughout the week, just getting the feel and timing back," said Brees, who led two touchdown drives in his three series on the field. "I don't think I'm 100 percent yet, but I feel like the tempo and rhythm and those things are coming back."

•KEY STATS
--BALTIMORE is 8-0 UNDER (+8.0 Units) in road games after a win by 6 or less points since 1993.
The average score was BALTIMORE 17.0, OPPONENT 8.6.

--NEW ORLEANS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was NEW ORLEANS 25.2, OPPONENT 20.2.

--NEW ORLEANS is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was NEW ORLEANS 20.9, OPPONENT 17.9.

--NEW ORLEANS is 35-17 OVER (+16.3 Units) the 1rst half total after playing a non-conference game since 1993.
The average score was NEW ORLEANS 10.6, OPPONENT 11.4.

--NEW ORLEANS is 31-16 OVER (+13.4 Units) the 1rst half total after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread since 1993.
The average score was NEW ORLEANS 10.0, OPPONENT 11.7.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 12 times, while the favorite covered the spread 8 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 13 times, while the underdog won straight up 9 times. 5 games went under the total, while 3 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 27 times, while the underdog covered first half line 27 times. *No EDGE. 10 games went over first half total, while 2 games went under first half total. *EDGE against first half total =OVER.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team versus the 1rst half total (NEW ORLEANS) - good team - outscoring opponents by 4 or more points/game, after 2 consecutive games where they forced 3 or more turnovers against opponent after a game where they committed 1 or less turnovers.
(30-9 since 1993.) (76.9%, +20.1 units. Rating = 2*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.9
The average first half score in these games was: Team 11.4, Opponent 11.4 (Total first half points scored = 22.8)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (3-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (6-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (12-3).
________________________________________________

#127 DENVER @ #128 DALLAS
Line: Broncos -2.5, Total: 43.5

The Dallas Cowboys will try to avoid a winless preseason when they host the reigning AFC Champion Denver Broncos (8:00 PM EST) on Thursday night. The Broncos are coming off a tough week, losing for the first time in exhibition play, a setback exacerbated by the latest concussion to star slot receiver Wes Welker, and finding out that star kicker Matt Prater will be suspended for the first month of the season for violating the NFL's substance- abuse policy.

Houston rookie Tom Savage's 31-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Griffin in the closing minute lifted the Texans to an 18-17 win over Denver last week, but the far bigger story stemming from the game was Welker, who was injured after taking a hit from Houston defensive back D.J. Swearinger late in the second quarter. It was his third concussion in the past 10 months. No timetable has been set for Welker's return and Broncos coach John Fox said the team would take it one day at a time.

"Our first priority is his safety and his well-being," Fox said earlier this week. "He's doing good and going through the protocol now, and he'll be out there when he's deemed healthy." Prater, meanwhile, was penalized for his second DUI issue and will not be eligible to return to the Broncos' active roster until Oct. 6, following the team's game against the Arizona Cardinals a day earlier. "I am definitely going to make some changes in my life: not drink at all or risk doing anything stupid like that," said Prater before Monday's practice.

"I need to keep myself out of certain situations where people are drinking." To replace Prater in the short-term Denver acquired former Temple University kicker Brandon McManus from the New York Giants in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft. McManus was set to be released by the Giants on Tuesday. He connected on both of his field goal attempts and recorded touchbacks on 10-of-11 kickoffs during the preseason with New York.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, are 0-3 in exhibition play after falling to the Miami Dolphins, 25-20, in south Florida last week. Tony Romo finished 10-for-18 for 87 yards and was sacked three times in the loss, while his backup Brandon Weeden was 5-of-9 for 77 yards and a TD LaRon Byrd. The preseason series between the Cowboys and the Broncos is tied at seven games apiece.

•KEY STATS
--DENVER is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus poor punt return teams, less than 7.5 yards per return since 1993.
The average score was DENVER 27.3, OPPONENT 15.8.

--DENVER is 17-2 ATS (+14.8 Units) off an upset loss as a favorite since 1993.
The average score was DENVER 24.9, OPPONENT 12.4.

--DENVER is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) off an upset loss as a home favorite since 1993.
The average score was DENVER 24.1, OPPONENT 11.3.

--DENVER is 7-0 OVER (+7.0 Units) the 1rst half total against teams who commit 1 or less turnovers/game on the season since 1993.
The average score was DENVER 8.9, OPPONENT 13.9.

--DALLAS is 12-30 ATS (-21.0 Units) off 1 or more straight overs since 1993.
The average score was DALLAS 14.6, OPPONENT 18.3.

--DALLAS is 11-2 OVER (+8.8 Units) the 1rst half total versus mistake prone teams - 60+ penalty yards per game since 1993.
The average score was DALLAS 11.7, OPPONENT 10.9.

--DALLAS is 10-1 OVER (+8.9 Units) the 1rst half total versus excellent punt coverage teams, allowing <= 7.5 yards per return since 1993.
The average score was DALLAS 12.8, OPPONENT 12.7.

--DALLAS is 8-0 OVER (+8.0 Units) the 1rst half total versus poor passing defenses - allowing a completion pct. of 61% or worse since 1993.
The average score was DALLAS 15.9, OPPONENT 10.0.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 11 times, while the underdog covered the spread 3 times. *EDGE against the spread =DENVER. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 12 times, while the underdog won straight up 2 times. 1 games went over the total, while 1 games went under the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 15 times, while the underdog covered first half line 3 times. *EDGE against first half line =DENVER. 3 games went over first half total, while 1 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Home teams against the 1rst half total (DALLAS) - with a poor defense - allowing 335 or more total yards/game, after being outgained by opponent by 100 or more total yards last game.
(32-9 since 1993.) (78.0%, +22.1 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.4
The average first half score in these games was: Team 12.8, Opponent 9.8 (Total first half points scored = 22.7)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (8-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (9-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (15-6).
________________________________________________

#129 SEATTLE @ #130 OAKLAND
Line: Seahawks -5, Total: 38.5

The Seattle Seahawks are gearing up for a chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions and will travel to Oakland for their final dress rehearsal in the 2014 preseason. Over the past two games, the Seahawks first-team offense, led by third-year quarterback Russell Wilson, has been nearly unstoppable. A week after racking up 260 yards and 24 points in the first half against San Diego, Seattle gained 250 yards and scored 31 points last week versus Chicago.

The Seahawks scored touchdowns on their first four possessions against the Bears and Wilson has a string of nine consecutive scoring drives over the past two games. "The entire offensive group is just executing at a good clip right now," said Seattle head coach Pete Carroll. "Russell is really committed to what is happening. We're hitting a pretty good clip right now. Hopefully we can keep it going."

Things haven't gone as smoothly for the Raiders, who made significant personnel changes in the offseason. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, one of those additions, had a 40-yard touchdown run last week, and wide receiver Brice Butler added two touchdown receptions in a loss in Green Bay last week. "I think we're ready to take a jump," veteran defensive back Charles Woodson said of his team. "I feel really good about what we did (in Week 3). And I'm very confident that we'll get better."

Seattle owns a significant 9-3 edge in its previous preseason bouts against the Raiders.

•KEY STATS
--SEATTLE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 23.1, OPPONENT 9.5.

--SEATTLE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 23.6, OPPONENT 10.4.

--SEATTLE is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) against AFC West division opponents since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 22.8, OPPONENT 16.2.

--SEATTLE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a win by 21 or more points since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 26.4, OPPONENT 15.3.

--SEATTLE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after outgaining opponent by 100 or more total yards in their previous game since 1993.
The average score was SEATTLE 26.1, OPPONENT 17.1.

--OAKLAND is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) against NFC West division opponents since 1993.
The average score was OAKLAND 16.6, OPPONENT 19.9.

--In past games, the favorite covered the spread 14 times, while the underdog covered the spread 14 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 20 times, while the underdog won straight up 9 times. 24 games went under the total, while 23 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the favorite covered first half line 21 times, while the underdog covered first half line 10 times. *No EDGE. 43 games went over first half total, while 24 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play On - Any team (SEATTLE) - with a good scoring defense - allowing 17 or less points/game, after allowing 17 points or less in 2 straight games, in non-conference games, off 2 consecutive home wins.
(32-11 since 1993.) (74.4%, +19.9 units. Rating = 2*)

The straight up record of the team this system pertains to is : (26-17)
The average line posted in these games was: Opponent favored by 2.3
The average score in these games was: Team 20.3, Opponent 17.4 (Average point differential = +3)
The number of games in which this system covered the spread by 7 or more points was 17 (41.5% of all games.)

The situation's record this season is: (1-1).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (3-1).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (8-2).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (14-9).
________________________________________________

#131 ARIZONA @ #132 SAN DIEGO
Line: Chargers -3, Total: 39

The Arizona Cardinals travel to San Diego this week to face the Chargers in a preseason finale for both clubs that should be even more vanilla than most. That's because the two teams will meet again 11 days later when the Chargers visit Arizona for a Monday Night matchup in Week #1 of the regular season. Last week, the Cardinals dropped a 19-13 decision to the Cincinnati Bengals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona's defense did not allow a touchdown in the game and rookie WR John Brown provided the biggest offensive highlight with a diving 30-yard TD reception late in the third quarter,

Cardinals backup quarterback Drew Stanton continued his solid preseason run, completing 10-of-13 passes for 108 yards and a TD in leading Arizona to 10 points in his three second-half series. Stanton has a 125.0 passer rating in the preseason and has thrown a TD in all three games. The Cards' defense was led by the team's 2014 first-round pick, safety Deone Bucannon, who was credited with a game-high seven tackles as Arizona fell to 1-2 in practice action.

San Diego is also 1-2 in the preseason, coming off a 21-7 loss on Sunday to the 49ers in San Francisco. Quarterback Philip Rivers only played the first quarter in that one and was very sharp, hitting 9-of-10 passes for 85 yards and a TD to star tight end Antonio Gates. This contest marks the first time since 2003 that the Cardinals will be visiting San Diego for preseason play. When the two teams rematch in Week 1, it will mark the Chargers first-ever regular season visit to University of Phoenix Stadium.

•KEY STATS
--SAN DIEGO is 25-8 OVER (+16.2 Units) off 1 or more consecutive unders since 1993.
The average score was SAN DIEGO 19.4, OPPONENT 23.2.

--SAN DIEGO is 38-17 OVER (+19.3 Units) the 1rst half total when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1993.
The average score was SAN DIEGO 10.3, OPPONENT 11.1.

--SAN DIEGO is 24-9 OVER (+14.1 Units) the 1rst half total off 1 or more consecutive unders since 1993.
The average score was SAN DIEGO 10.4, OPPONENT 12.5.

--In past games, the underdog covered the spread 19 times, while the favorite covered the spread 14 times. *No EDGE. In past games, the favorite won the game straight up 20 times, while the underdog won straight up 15 times. 18 games went under the total, while 17 games went over the total. *No EDGE.

--In past games, the underdog covered first half line 39 times, while the favorite covered first half line 30 times. *No EDGE. 37 games went over first half total, while 22 games went under first half total. *No EDGE.

•SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: Play Over - Any team where the first half total is between 18 and 21 (ARIZONA) - after scoring 3 points or less in the first half last game against opponent after scoring 7 points or less in the first half in 2 straight games.
(33-9 since 1993.) (78.6%, +23.1 units. Rating = 3*)

The average first half total posted in these games was: 18.9
The average first half score in these games was: Team 10.8, Opponent 11.3 (Total first half points scored = 22.1)

The situation's record this season is: (0-0).
Over the last 3 seasons the situation's record is: (3-0).
Over the last 5 seasons the situation's record is: (5-1).
Over the last 10 seasons the situation's record is: (11-5).

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks Atlanta at NY Mets The Mets look to bounce back from last night's 3-2 loss as they close out the series against a Braves team that is 2-8 in its last 10 games after allowing 2 runs or less in the previous game. New York is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+105). Here are all of today's MLB picks.


THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST


Game 901-902: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Arrieta) 16.332; Cincinnati (Axelrod) 14.621
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-120); Under


Game 903-904: Colorado at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Lyles) 15.854; San Francisco (Petit) 14.616
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 7
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-190); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+165); Under


Game 905-906: Atlanta at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 15.032; NY Mets (Niese) 16.199
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+105); Over


Game 907-908: NY Yankees at Detroit (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Kuroda) 16.687; Detroit (Lobstein) 15.813
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-130); Under


Game 909-910: Tampa Bay at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 16.276; Baltimore (Norris) 15.304
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-105); Over


Game 911-912: Minnesota at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Milone) 14.561; Kansas City (Guthrie) 15.785
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-155); Over


Game 913-914: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Carrasco) 15.571; White Sox (Danks) 14.027
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-150); Over


Game 915-916: Texas at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Tepesch) 13.804; Houston (McHugh) 15.442
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Houston (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-150); Over


Game 917-918: Oakland at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gray) 14.843; LA Angels (Wilson) 15.518
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-120); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's NFL Picks Carolina at Pittsburgh The Steelers wrap up their preseason at home against a Carolina team that lost at New England (30-7) last week. Pittsburgh is the pick (-5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Steelers favored by 8. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-5 1/2). Here are all of this week's NFL preseason picks.


THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
Time Posted: 8:00 p.m. EST (8/26)


Game 101-102: Atlanta at Jacksonville (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 117.478; Jacksonville 118.770
Dunkel Line: Jacksonville by 1 1/2; 35
Vegas Line: Jacksonville by 4; 39 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+4); Under


Game 103-104: Detroit at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 116.771; Buffalo 123.728
Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 7; 46
Vegas Line: Buffalo by 4 1/2; 41
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-4 1/2); Over


Game 105-106: Indianapolis at Cincinnati (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indianapolis 121.526; Cincinnati 120.363
Dunkel Line: Indianapolis by 1; 38
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 3; 42
Dunkel Pick: Indianapolis (+3); Under


Game 107-108: St. Louis at Miami (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 117.113; Miami 122.084
Dunkel Line: Miami by 5; 44
Vegas Line: Miami by 3; 39 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-3); Over


Game 109-110: NY Jets at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Jets 117.967; Philadelphia 123.029
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 5; 48
Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 2 1/2; 44
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-2 1/2); Over


Game 111-112: Kansas City at Green Bay (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City 1120.586; Green Bay 120.458
Dunkel Line: Even; 36
Vegas Line: Green Bay by 3; 42
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+3); Under


Game 113-114: New England at NY Giants (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New England 121.281; NY Giants 126.654
Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 5 1/2; 38
Vegas Line: NY Giants by 3 1/2; 41
Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (-3 1/2); Under


Game 115-116: Washington at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 126.972; Tampa Bay 121.924
Dunkel Line: Washington by 5; 35
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay by 3; 39
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+3); Under


Game 117-118: Carolina at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 115.199; Pittsburgh 123.116
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 8; 34
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 5 1/2; 38
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-5 1/2); Under


Game 119-120:Minnesota at Tennessee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 124.531; Tennessee 123.442
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 38
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 2; 42
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+2); Under


Game 121-122: San Francisco at Houston (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 121.486; Houston 122.352
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 43
Vegas Line: Houston by 3 1/2; 39
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+3 1/2); Over


Game 123-124: Chicago at Cleveland (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 116.434; Cleveland 123.300
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 7; 39
Vegas Line: Cleveland by 5; 42 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-5); Under


Game 125-126: Baltimore at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 123.717; New Orleans 129.012
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 5 1/2; 47
Vegas Line: New Orleans by 3 1/2; 43 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-3 1/2); Over


Game 127-128: Denver at Dallas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 120.958; Dallas 122.920
Dunkel Line: Dallas by 2; 37
Vegas Line: Denver by 2 1/2; 43 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+2 1/2); Under


Game 129-130: Seattle at Oakland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 127.320; Oakland 124.286
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 3; 33
Vegas Line: Seattle by 5 1/2; 38 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+5 1/2); Under


Game 131-132: Arizona at San Diego (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 118.631; San Diego 123.715
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 5; 45
Vegas Line: San Diego by 3; 39
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-3); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Free play Thursday

Seahawks -3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

'College Football Is Back'

Things kicks off Thursday with South Carolina Gamecocks in a season lidlifter against Johnny Football-less Texas A&M. Gamecocks knocking off Badgers in the Capital One Bowl ended the 2013 campaign 11-2 (7-6 ATS) overall behind 34.1 PPG on 452.3 YPG with the defense surrendering 20.3 PPG on 350.0 YPG. Aggies off a 9-4 (5-8 ATS) season including a win vs Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl racked up 44.2 PPG on 538.3 YPG. At the defensive end, Aggies gave up 32.2 PPG on 475.8 YPG and surrendered an SEC-worst 222.3 rushing yards/game. Gamecocks are the clear favorite in this game (-10.5) but, the number shouldn’t dissuade anyone from taking Spurrier's troops. Sports handicappers familiar with early-season efforts by Gamecocks over the past few years know the squad has won fourteen consecutive season opener's (7-7 ATS) along with seven straight in front of the home crowd posting a 5-2 ATS mark against the betting line. What should also set off a trigger in the minds of those with a penchant for sports gaming, Gamecocks' running the table at home in 2013 going 7-0 (4-3 ATS) are now 18-0 (12-6 ATS) at Williams-Brice Stadium. Best of luck this season but above all enjoy the games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hondo

Hondo makes a Met bet

It wasn’t quite a laugher but Smyly did the job for the Rays and Hondo Wednesday night, shutting down the Orioles to reduce the accounts payable to 1,600 swans.

Thursday night: If everything is relative, then Mr. Aitch feels he should back Niese — 10 units on the Metamucils to post a major victory over Minor.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Boise State vs. Ole Miss Point Spread and Pick
By: Larry Hartstein

Coming off its worst season in 15 years, Boise State travels across the country to face No. 18 Ole Miss in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Thursday in Atlanta. (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Broncos lost five games – and their mystique – last year and are rebuilding under new coach Bryan Harsin.

Boise State has not been this big of an underdog since visiting Oregon on Sept. 20, 2008. The Broncos also were getting 10 points in that game; they won outright 37-32.

The Line: Ole Miss -10.5, Total: 53.5

Line movement: The spread has been back and forth between 10 and 10.5 for the most part, although some books have flashed 9.5. The total has fallen a full 4 points from CG Technology's initial release of 57.5. You can find 53s and 54s around Vegas, too.

Trends that matter: The Rebels are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six neutral-site games. They’re playing this one in SEC country at the Georgia Dome, a long trek for Boise State.

It’s a fast track in Atlanta. The OVER is 9-3 in Ole Miss’ last 12 games on Fieldturf.

Quarterback differential: The Rebels own the edge at quarterback, where Bo Wallace enters his third season as the starter. Boise State’s Grant Hedrick took over at midseason last year and struggled against the toughest opponents.

Wallace accounted for three touchdowns in the Music City Bowl win over Georgia Tech and says his arm finally feels normal following his January 2013 shoulder surgery.

"I have a lot more confidence this year," Wallace told the Associated Press . "I had a great camp. Last year I didn't have a good camp at all. It took me two or three weeks just to get back in the groove. But from day one (this year), I've felt good and I still feel good."

Same records, but…. Both teams went 8-5 SU last year, but the Rebels played a much tougher schedule. Ole Miss lost by three to Texas A&M, by eight at Auburn and in overtime at Mississippi State.

The Broncos lost both their games against BCS conference opponents, falling by a combined 76-29 to Washington and Oregon State.

Injuries that matter: Ole Miss starting NT Isaac Gross, who’s been dealing with a neck strain, practiced Sunday and reported no soreness Monday, per USA Today. He’s expected to play. Gross has 19 tackles for loss in 26 career games.

The Linemakers’ lean: The line here is inflated because we have an SEC team playing one from the Mountain West, plus the latter comes in with a new coach. According to our power ratings, Ole Miss should be about a 6-point favorite on a neutral field, which is where this game will be contested. Boise State is traditionally very comfortable traveling, and while Bryan Harsin may be new to the sidelines, he still gets to play with Chris Petersen’s talent. We’re on the dog here.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Carlo Campanella

NFLX Seattle Seahawks vs. Oakland Raiders

7* Seattle Seahawks

Seattle knows they have a target on their backs after winning the Super Bowl and they've lived up to the challenge by rolling through their competition during Preseason play. We wagered on them during Week #2 and Week #3 this exhibition season and cashed both times, as they easily beat the Chargers, 41-14, and followed that victory up with a 28 point victory over Chicago, 34-6, last Friday. Seattle heads to Oakland for their final Preseason game this Thursday knowing that they're 8-0 ATS in their final exhibition game of the season, including 4-0 ATS in their final game behind Head Coach Pete Carroll. Seahawks roll into the Regular season with a third straight exhibition victory.

7* Play On Seattle

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sam Martin

Tulane at Tulsa 8:00PM

5* Play on Tulsa

Since joining Vegas Experts five years ago, we've backed Tulsa against the spread against Tulane every season in this annual rivalry and we suffered our first loss last season. That 14-7 outright loss was not only the first time Tulsa lost outright in the previous nine years, but also the first time they failed to cover the spread in this rivalry game.

Tulsa hadn't just been beating Tulane, they were blowing them out. The previous eight games saw Tulsa win by margins of 35, 28, 28, 24, 49, 24, 35, and 24 points. It's no wonder they are against listed as the favorite here despite coming off a three-win season a year ago and breaking that streak, however, given the series history there is still value backing the side and ALMOST always wins big! 5* Play on Tulsa.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marc Lawrence

Tulane at Tulsa 8:00PM

Tulsa

Edges - Hurricane: 8-1 ATS in this series, including 4-0 ATS home, and playing with revenge from 7-point loss as 3-point road favorite last season. Green Wave: 9-26 SU last thirty-five games. With Tulsa having gone 25-11-1 ATS in seasons after suffering a losing campaign the previous year, we recommend a 1-unit play on Tulsa. Thank you and good luck as always.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Steve Fezzik

(3*) UL Monroe +3

(2*)Under Mississippi vs. Boise 56

(2*) UCF pick em

3* 8/29 Colorado vs Colorado state under 63

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RJ Bell ( From Vegas Killers)

Mississippi -10

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Joe Gaffney

One shot one kill moneymaker

Temple

[Can'tPickAWinner]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | CLEVELAND at CHI WHITE SOX
Play On - All underdogs with a money line of +125 to +175 (CHI WHITE SOX) with a team on base percentage .310 or worse on the season (AL), in August games
89-80 over the last 5 seasons. ( 52.7% | 47.8 units )
9-15 this year. ( 37.5% | -2.1 units )

StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | TAMPA BAY at BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE is 43-25 (+19.7 Units) against the money line vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .320 or worse this season.
The average score was: BALTIMORE (4.2) , OPPONENT (3.3)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER (College Football Futures)

3-Unit play.- Oregon+125 to win the pac 12

3-Unit play.- Florida Regular Season Wins – Over 7.5-125

5-Unit play.- UNLV Regular Season Wins – Under 4.5-130

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MATT FARGO

CFB THURSDAY TRIFECTA

It was a huge disappointing season for Tulsa last year. The Golden Hurricane finished 3-9 overall including 2-6 in C-USA and now they take the jump to the much more competitive AAC. The good news is that Tulsa should be much more competitive as well. Last season, they had just nine starters coming back from an 11-3 season in 2012 which was its third straight winning season. Additionally, the Golden Hurricane suffered a ton of injuries along the way but now they are healthy and have 15 starters back including 10 on the defensive side of the ball. Losing their last five home games last season should have them pretty amped up come Thursday night on national television. Tulane was a pleasant surprise last season as it went 7-5 and went to its first bowl game since 2002 but ended up losing to Louisiana in the New Orleans Bowl. Overall, the Green Wave dropped four of their last five games so they come in with very little momentum and they will also have to make up for the loss of eight starters. They still struggled away from home last season despite the overall success as they were 2-4 in true road games and have not won more than two road games in a season in over a decade. Tulsa will be playing with revenge in mind as it lost at Tulane 14-7 which was the first loss to the Green Wave after eight straight wins. All of those wins were covers as well and the last four home victories for Tulsa over the Green Wave were by 35, 28, 49 and 35 points and with these teams going in different directions from last season, I expect an easy win for the home team here.

10* (138) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

While it may seem like a big shocker but the team with the second best record over the last 20 games behind Alabama isn’t one of the powerhouse programs but it is Vanderbilt. The Commodores have gone 16-4 over their last 20 games following a 9-4 record last year which came after closing out 2012 with seven straight wins. Don’t expect this run to continue however. Vanderbilt lost arguably the most talent in the conference based on volume as they have to replace 12 starters on both sides of the ball. Taking nothing away from last year but they had three wins by four points or fewer and benefitted from a positive turnover margin. Additionally, they lost head coach James Franklin to Penn St. so we should see some growing pains early in the season and listing the Commodores as such a big favorite is way too aggressive. Temple struggled to a 2-10 season last year which was its second straight losing season after three consecutive winning campaigns. While that record seems awful, four losses came by a combined nine points and its 8-4 record against the number shows that it was pretty competitive despite the lack of wins. The Owls return 13 starters from last season including eight on defense which was its downfall last season, allowing 29.8 ppg. We can expect a much better season from the stop unit this year. Quarterback play should continue to be a strength for the Owls this season, as sophomore P.J. Walker returns under center after a strong debut. Walker ranked third in the league in pass efficiency behind Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles. Temple was a perfect 5-0 ATS as a road underdog last season while going 7-1 ATS getting points overall. Grab the generous points Thursday night.

9* (141) Temple Owls

Rutgers begins its first season in the Big Ten and many are picking the Scarlet Knights to finish last in the conference in addition to last in the East Division. While they probably won’t be going bowling after making the postseason the last three years, this is still a very talented team that returns 16 starters from last season and they should be a competitive bunch. The schedule is not only brutal but they are facing 12 teams they did not face last season so there will be no familiarity in gameplanning. Rutgers has a good opportunity to open the season 4-1 however as this is a very winnable game in my opinion. Washington St. is nothing special and this game isn’t even taking place on its home field as it is being played in Seattle. The Cougars will clearly have the fan base but it is just not the same. They finished 6-6 last season and went to a bowl game for the first time since 2003 but lost to Colorado St. There is little optimism for improvement this year and while the offense should again be potent, the loss of three starters on the offensive line is a concern. Washington St. has been favored against a BCS opponent just three times in the Mike Leach era. It was a 1.5-point favorite against California and Utah last year and while it won both games, there is little reason to believe that the Cougars should be more than a touchdown favorite here. Rutgers falls into a great contrarian as we play on any team in the first two weeks of the year, bowl team from last season who lost four or more of their last 5 games and finished with a losing record. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) since 1992.

10* (143) Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MADDUX SPORTS

(NCAAF)

(10*) Texas A&M vs South Carolina – Over 60

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marc Lawrence

South Carolina

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Prediction Machine Sides

Thu. Aug. 28th ATS

Rot Pick Opp Line Pick%

139 MISS BOISE -10 59
141 TEMPLE @ VANDY 14 58.6
137 TULANE @ TULSA 6.5 56.6

Fri Aug. 29th ATS
Rot Pick Opp Line Pick%
150 COLO (Lock of the Week) COLOST -2.5 61.7
148 @ WESTKY BGSU 7.5 56.9

Sat Aug. 30th ATS
Rot3 Pick Opp Line Pick%
197 FLAST OKST -17.5 61.5
156 UCF PSU -1.5 59.2
163 TROY @ UAB 2.5 58.6
169 FLAATL @ NEB 23 58.1
204 WISC LSU 5 58.1 166 @ NW CAL -10.5 57.6
195 WASH @ HAWAII -17 57.2
161 APP @ MICH 34.5 56.7
181 CLEM @ UGA 7.5 56.3
189 IDAHO @ FLA 36.5 56
179 ARK @ AUBURN 21 55.9
158 @ NAVY OHIOST 14 55.4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

InsiderProPicks

8/28/14

CFB

Mississippi -10
Tulsa -6.5

Temple +14

Free: Rutgers @ Washington St Over 63

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ecks and Bacon


Ben lee won on Wednesday in MLB in Interleague play with the Angels -$145/Marlins.

For Thursday in College Football E&B like Texas A&M + 10.5/South Carolina.

"Mr Chalk" has Np for Thursday in MLB.

Ben lee is 2-0 +$100 for week forty four 197-224-5 -$2797

"Mr Chalk" is 69-50 -$330 for the 2014 MLB season.

All E&B selections will be for $50 unless noted

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ROOT

millionaires

BOISE STATE and BUFFALO BILLS

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CHASE DIAMOND

10* Wake Forest+2

This game features Wake Forest at UL Monroe and has some very huge line movement in this game. Wake opened up as 7 point favorites in this game and public money has pushed it all the way to Wake +2. Looking deeper into the numbers you will see 70% of the public on UL Monroe plus I haven't seen one capper on Wake Forest and a ton on UL Monroe. Everyone knows what happens when everyone is backing one side. I talked to several of my local contacts all 3 said they will make a shit ton on this game tonight! Take Wake Forest plus the points here for a small 10* winner.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

GOLD SHEET

KEY RELEASE
*SOUTH CAROLINA 38 - Texas A&M 17

[Can'tPickAWinner]

EZWINNERS

NCAAF

1* (136) Louisiana Monroe -2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

PITTVIPER CFB ROT# 134 – 6:00pm – South Carolina -10 (-113) ROT# 138 – 8:00pm – Tulsa -6.5 (-106) ROT# 139 – 8:00pm – Mississippi -10 (-112)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BETTORSWORLD College Football – Thursday, August 28, 2014 Week #1 6:00p 133 Texas A&M 24 vs 134 South Carolina 37 7:00p 135 Wake Forest 22 vs 136 UL Monroe 18 8:00p 137 Tulane 23 vs 138 Tulsa 23 8:00p 139 Mississippi 30 vs 140 Boise State 23 9:15p 141 Temple 17 vs 142 Vanderbilt 36 10:00p 143 Rutgers 22 vs 144 Washington State 43

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday August 28, 2014 Opening Line Report by Alan Matthews I wouldn’t consider it likely, but should either Oakland or the L.A. Angels sweep this weekend’s four-game series, that team would take control of the AL West and the potential top seed in the American League. Should one team get swept, it might force that panicked GM to make a trade before the waiver deadline. The Angels, for example, are looking for starting pitching in the wake of Garrett Richards’ injury. Oakland is the -150 division favoriteat Sportsbook. with the Angels at -130. Here’s a look at that matchup and four other interesting ones on Thursday. Yankees at Tigers (+106, 8.5) I’m most certainly not going to mention every time Derek Jeter plays his last game in a ballpark the rest of the way, but he will at Comerica Park in Detroit in Thursday’s getaway day game (assuming he doesn’t sit). I expect the Yankees’ final playoff game with Jeter as a member of the team will remain in Detroit in the 2012 ALCS. He broke his ankle in Game 1 of that series at Yankee Stadium, and New York was swept, losing the last two at Comerica. Jeter hasn’t been the same since. The Tigers got more bad news on Wednesday as Anibal Sanchez had a setback and might now be done for the season. So they are patching that No. 5 spot with random guys, and some dude named Kyle Lobstein (0-0, 4.76) will make his first big-league start here. The lefty pitched 5.2 innings of relief last week against Minnesota. Hideki Kuroda (9-8, 3.94) faced Detroit on Aug. 5 and allowed three runs over seven innings in a no-decision. Miguel Cabrera is 5-for-12 with two homers off him. Key trends: The Yankees have won seven of their past eight Thursday games. They are 4-1 in their past five against lefties. The “over/under” has gone under is 4-0 in Kuroda’s past four against Detroit. Early lean: I get why Detroit is a dog because no one has a clue about Lobstein. But the Yankees don’t know him, either. Take the Tigers. Braves at Mets (+113, 7) I think any day now the Mets are going to shut down third baseman David Wright for the season. He has been bothered by a shoulder injury since June, and it’s not going away. Entering Wednesday, Wright is hitting .215 with no homers and eight RBIs in 135 second-half at-bats. He hasn’t homered in 143 at-bats, his longest career drought. The Mets will want to finish with one of the 10 worst records for free-agent purposes, so they might as well shut him down. New York closes a series with Atlanta on Thursday night. Lefty Jon Niese (7-9, 3.47) hasn’t been good since the All-Star Break, going 2-5 with a 4.63 ERA. He hasn’t faced Atlanta since April 18 when he allowed a run over six innings. Jason Heyward (.375, two HRs, eight RBIs) and Freddie Freeman (.300, two HRs, six RBIs) hit him well. Atlanta lefty Mike Minor (5-8, 4.90) has been much better in his past two starts, winning both and allowing a combined three runs over 14.2 innings. He is 0-0 with a 4.76 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Mets. Key trends: Atlanta has won five straight against left-handers. The Mets are 0-5 in Niese’s past five vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 5-1 in Niese’s past six against Atlanta. Early lean: Minor seems to have figured things out, so take the Braves. Rangers at Astros (-132, 8.5) Chris Carter, MLB Home Run champion? Yeah, if you had that wager down in the spring, kudos to you. All Carter does is homer or strike out, but he’s now up to 32 dingers entering Wednesday after hitting a game-winner Tuesday against Oakland. He has 11 dingers this month and is just two behind big-league leader Nelson Cruz’s 34 homers. Just think, the terrible Astros could have a home run king in Carter and the AL batting champion in Jose Altuve. Carter hasn’t gone yard in seven career at-bats against Thursday’s Rangers starter Nick Tepesch (4-8, 4.45). He was rocked for six runs in 6.1 innings last time out by Kansas City. Tepesch pitched in Houston in his 2014 debut on May 14, allowing a run over 5.1 innings. Houston’s Collin McHugh (6-9, 3.02) has allowed two runs or fewer in his past five starts. He has never faced Texas. Key trends: Texas is 1-7 in its past eight series openers. The Rangers have won five straight Tepesch series openers. The under is 6-0 in Tepesch’s past six vs. the AL West. Early lean: Astros are still playing hard. Rangers are making golf plans. Take Houston. Rockies at Giants (-169, 7.5) San Francisco demoted struggling two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum to the bullpen and will trot out right-hander Yusmeiro Petit in his place at least for Thursday. I’m not sure that’s a great idea as Petit has a 1.84 ERA as a reliever but is 1-2 with a 6.32 ERA in six starts this year. This is the type of game against a terrible team that has barely any good players left healthy that the Giants simply have to win. Lincecum has proven he can excel out of the bullpen, but San Francisco might be in the market for pitching before the waiver trade deadline in a few days. Jordan Lyles (6-1, 4.05) starts for the Rockies in this getaway day game. He is 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in four starts this month after missing two months on the DL. Key trends: The Rockies are 4-1 in Lyles’ past five vs. teams with a winning record. The over is 7-1 in his past eight on the road. The over is 4-1 in Petit’s past five starts. Early lean: I generally like pitchers’ duels in day-after-night games but not here as this total is a run too low considering the starters. Over at +105. A’s at Angels (+106, 7) Obviously this is the series of the weekend. The A’s won two of three at home against the Angels last weekend. This is the last time Oakland visits Anaheim this regular season. Sonny Gray (13-7, 3.00) gets the call for Oakland in the opener. He had lost four straight starts before beating the Angels on Aug. 22, allowing three runs over 8.1 innings. Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton each hit solo homers off him. Lefty C.J. Wilson (10-8, 4.45) lost in Oakland on Aug. 23 despite allowing just a run over 6.1 innings. The Angels have to be encouraged he has pitched much better his past three starts (1.96 ERA). Jonny Gomes is 7-for-20 with a home run in his career off Wilson. Otherwise most key A’s struggle against him. Key trends: The A’s are 0-6 in their past six road games vs. lefties. The Angels are 7-1 in Wilson’s past eight at home. The over is 7-3-1 in the past 11 meetings. L.A. is 4-1 in Wilson’s past five vs. Oakland. Early lean: Angels as home dogs with Wilson looking rejuvenated? Jump on it. I have a feeling this line will move closer to a “pick’em”.

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BOB BALFE NEW YORK METS +105 (Niece/Minor) When these teams get together we usually see low scoring games that end up very close in score. These teams are really mirror images of each other in talent which is not that much this year. The Braves just happen to have a few more wins. Niece is a better pitcher in this one and I don’t like how the Braves have been hitting the ball the last few games. Take the Mets.

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Advanced sports investments perry’s soccer club (+2.60) uefa – europa league 1215pm- fc zimbru chisinau @ paok thessaloniki – under 2.5 -105 245pm- dinamo minsk @ cd nacional madeira – under 2.5 -150 230pm- young boys bern @ debreceni vsc – over 2.5 -130

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Kyle’s Picks: BRONCOS -3 (+100) I had the Broncos last week, in what equated to playing roulette in the 4th quarter. It was pretty well a tossup late before the Texans scored a touchdown and then completed the 2-point conversion to win the game. The Broncos will go up against another Texas foe, the Cowboys. Brock Osweiler will assume the backup role in this game, or I suppose, you can say starter since Manning will be gone quickly in this game. These preseason games are important for the 2nd year pro out of Arizona State who was taken in the second round. Second round picks are expected to produce, and I think Osweiler has showed glimpses of why he can be a starting quarterback. However, he’s been too inconsistent for my liking. Preseason is really the only time he can showcase his talents so it is important for himself. He’s been adequate this preseason, there have been moments of good football and average football. Osweiler was on point in game 2, passing for 105 yards and a touchdown on 10 of 13 passing. Last week he didn’t look so great, going for 43 yards and a pick on 4 of 11 passing. Zac Dysert, who many think has a chance to be a good quarterback, will follow Osweiler. Dysert was taken in the seventh round of the draft last year, but many people believe he should have been taken earlier. He passed for 63 yards on 8 of 11 completions, chipping in with a touchdown as well against the 49ers a couple of weeks ago. Look for him to get more playing time this week, as he sat last week giving Osweiler all of the playing time with Manning. The Cowboys will be just fine on offense this season under Tony Romo. Romo will get the brunt of the blame for which should be another inconsistent season, but I don’t think it’ll be deserved. The defense in Dallas is going to be bad, with a chance I think, to be the worst defense in the NFL. The secondary should be able to get beat with ease. It isn’t only the starters here, but there is no depth to be found exactly anywhere on this roster. Defensive line scares me as well with this unit. Osweiler and Dysert should be able to move the ball against them. The defense has been steamrolled already and it is only the preseason, showcasing the lack of depth throughout. They gave up 27 to the Chargers, 37 to the Ravens, and 25 against the Dolphins. That gives us an average of 29.6 points per game, in the preseason! Preseason is typically a time for the defense to look good given no teams game plan, but Dallas has had problems nevertheless. I like the quarterback rotation of Osweiler and Dysert here over Brandon Weeden and Caleb Hanie. Weeden is in a position he should be, in a backup role, but what he is going to do any given week is anyone’s guess. I give the edge to the Broncos’ defense, too. The Cowboys should get exploited right off the bat, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Bronco first-stringers get a touchdown or at least a field goal before they exit. I like the Broncos to win this game by a score of around 27-17. Consequently, the point spread of -3 on Denver at even money looks pretty enticing to me.

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NFLBetting Picks / Kevin Kevin’s Picks: Another winning 4-2 week against the spread for my preseason system plays last week. Lets try and finish off with another winning week as we get ready for the real season Thursday night in Seattle! Atlanta Falcons @ Jacksonville Jaguars – JAGUARS -4 (-102) St Louis Rams @ Miami Dolphins - RAMS +3 (-115) Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers – PANTHERS +5.5 (-107) Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans – TITANS -2 (-105)

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Worlds Worst Picker NCAAF SC Wf Miss Vandy

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BEHIND THE BETS CFB Tulane +7 Wake Forest +2

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GOODFELLA Thursday Night CFB Team Total RUTGERS - OVER 27.5 POINTS (@BOL)

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Thursday card has a 15-0 NFLX Game Of The Month and 3 More 90+% Week 4 NFLX Plays, there is a Huge 100% Opening night College Football system play up and a 94% MLB Dominator system. Top MLB Play Cashed easily last night. Free NFLX Play below



On Thursday the NFLX Free Play is on the Detroit Lions. Game 103 at 7:00 eastern. The Lions are taking over 4 points here and have won and covered the last 6 in the series vs Buffalo. Detroit is 17-5 to the spread vs AFC Teams in Preseason play and have covered and won 6 straight in game 4 of the Preseason. Buffalo is laying points but is 1-13 straight up vs NFC teams and has failed to cover 6 of the last 8 on Thursday. Look for the Lions to keep this one close and no surprises if they pull the upset. Take the Points with Detroit. On Thursday jump on as we are using the Most Powerful data in the industry. There is a 15-0 NFLX Top play up and 3 more NFL plays all with systems cashing 90% or higher, There is also the first big College football play this season and MLB. Start off big in football. For the free play take the Detroit Lions. On Thursday Its a Huge NFLX 15-0 Game of the month and 3 More huge NFLX system plays all from systems cashing over 90%. There is a 100% Opening night College Football super system side and a 94% MLB Dominator system. Message to Jump on Now and put the Most Powerful data in the industry on your side tonight. For the free play take Detroit. GC

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Cappers Finest (Prez swept yesterday 5-0) Prez: Ole Miss, 1st 1/2 -6 3 units Prez: Wash St. -7, 3 units Prez: TB Rays, 2 units

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Vegas Winning Crew NFLX 25 Dime Play - Philadelphia

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Totals 4 You "Total Domination" for Thursday, August 28th 2014 College Football Kickoff Super Total of the Year!!!!! Mississippi/Boise State over 53 Please note: due to discount, guarantees do not apply to this package NCAA Best Bets Texas A&M/South Carolina under 60 1/2 Tulane/Tulsa under 47 Temple/Vanderbilt under 45 1/2 Rutgers/Washington State over 63 2014 NFL Preseason Triple Lock Parlay of the Year!!!!! Washington/Tampa Bay over 38 1/2 Minnesota/Tennessee over 41 1/2 San Francisco/Houston under 39 1/2 NFL Best Bets St Louis/Miami over 39 1/2 Kansas City/Green Bay over 42 Seattle/Oakland under 39 American League Baseball Daytime Dominator!!!!! New York/Detroit over 8 1/2 MLB Best Bets Colorado/San Francisco over 7 1/2 Tampa Bay/Baltimore under 8 Minnesota/Kansas City under 8 1/2 Oakland/Los Angeles over 7 1/2

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SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY POSTS AND i DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, I CAN'T JUST "POST QUICK REPLY" THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE PLAYS POSTED IS FOR ME TO REFRESH AND THEN IT GETS POSTED AS YOU SEE ABOVE.

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BONES BEST BET ROYALS -1 -109 *3* KC has taken 7 of the past 8 meetings between these teams. The Twins have dropped 4 straight and put a struggling Tommy Milone on the mound (2.31 WHIP, 8.49 ERA L3 Starts). KC counters with Guthrie who should be able to handle the weak Twins. The Royals come in having won 7 of 10 overall. CUBS @ REDS – UNDER 7 -102 *2* The Cubs have went under in 7 of 10 and the Reds have went under in 3 of 5. Arrieta has been a beast this year and we expect him to shut down the Reds. The Cubs have went under in 12 of his 18 starts this year. He has a 1.01 WHIP and 2.53 ERA this year and the Cubs have given up an average of 2.9 runs per game when he starts this year. He also has a 1.64 ERA and 0.85 WHIP during day games this year. Axelrod has only made 1 start this year and we aren’t sure what to expect, but the Cubs offense has only averaged 3.2 runs per game their last 10 games. ATHLETICS @ ANGELS – OVER 7.5 -110 *3* The A’s and Angels have met 12 times this season with 8 of the 12 meetings going over the number. This is the best offense in baseball in the A’s and their 4.80 runs per game against the Angels and the 2nd best offense in baseball and their 4.70 runs per game! CJ Wilon hasn’t been anything special with his 4.45 ERA (4.11 home) while Gray has been solid these Angels can put up a big number on anything. 7.5? Sign us up!

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ROBERT FERRINGO (MLB) 4* Atlanta over New York Mets #905 Odds:-120 4* NY Yankees over detroit #907 Odds: -120 5* Tamba Bay over Baltimore #909 Odds +110 5* Kansas City over Minesota #912 -145 OVER/UNDER TOTALS SELECTIONS 5* Over 7.0 – Atlanta at N.Y. Mets 5* Under 8.0 – Minnesota at Kansas City

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ALLEN EASTMAN (MLB) 3-Unit play. Take Under 8.0 – Tampa Bay at Baltimore -110

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Stephen Nover | CFB Side dime bet – 137 Tulane 7.0 (-115) vs 138 Tulsa Curtis Johnson did a magnificent job with Tulane last year. He greatly improved the Green Wave defense to the point where Tulane forced 35 turnovers. Tulsa, by contrast, had a terrible season last year going 3-9. I’m not convinced the Golden Hurricane have turned things around. I’m not a fan of Tulsa QB Dane Evans, who is turnover prone. Tulane forces turnovers and has a very good secondary. The Green Wave are very dangerous as ‘dogs under Johnson. They went 7-2 ATS in that role last season and enter this matchup with a great deal of confidence. Now that the line has reached 7, I’m going to back them.

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King Creole Vandy Under 51

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Teddy Covers Green Bay -3.5

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Fezzik San Diego Under 39

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CappersFinest: CoversNuggz: Reds, ML, 2 units

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Northcoast Nfl phones 4* Sea top weekly and top preseason play 3* minny 3* NYG

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Marc Lawrence Indy

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Cappers Finest: Prez: Tigers TeamTotal O4 2 units

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NFL Preseason Week 4 By: Mike Wilkening Sportingnews Do we even bother? It’s the first question handicappers must consider in the final week of the NFL preseason. Many starters will get the night off on Thursday, so have those depth charts handy. Those who take a serious look at the card should be familiar with the clubs’ reserve skill-position players, especially third- and fourth-string quarterbacks. Here’s a brief look at the final 16 exhibition games, all to be played on Thursday. Line are the Las Vegas consensus as of Wednesday afternoon. For updated point spreads and totals, visit our live odds board. Atlanta at Jacksonville (-4, 39.5 The Falcons have been outscored 33-6 in the second half in exhibition games this summer. With reserves to play long minutes for Atlanta on Thursday night, this might be something to keep in mind. Reserve quarterbacks Ricky Stanzi and Stephen Morris figure to get long looks for the Jaguars. Detroit at Buffalo (-4.5, 41) The Bills could play starters for some of the final exhibition after a 27-16 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday. All three of the Lions’ previous preseason games have been decided by one point. Indianapolis at Cincinnati (-2.5, 42) The Colts have scored just 13 second-half points in exhibition play. If past trends hold, quarterback Andy Dalton will make just a cameo appearance in the final preseason game. Kansas City at Green Bay (-3, 42) Keep an eye on Green Bay’s offense. Packers quarterbacks Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn are competing to back up Aaron Rodgers, and it’s unclear whether Green Bay will keep two or three passers. The Chiefs don’t figure to play quarterback Alex Smith, given Andy Reid’s tendencies in recent preseasons. St. Louis at Miami (-3, 39.5) The Rams seem likely to give second-year quarterback Austin Davis a lot of reps as they try to decide how they will proceed after Sam Bradford’s season-ending ACL tear. The Dolphins lost their first five exhibitions under coach Joe Philbin but are a solid 4-3 since. N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia (-2.5, 44) The Eagles have surrendered 62 second-half points in the preseason, worst in the NFL. Backup quarterback Michael Vick will start for the Jets in the preseason finale but will see limited action, coach Rex Ryan said Sunday. This leaves Matt Simms and Tajh Boyd to close it out. New England at N.Y. Giants (-3.5, 41) Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hasn’t played in an exhibition finale since 2011. However, he sat out the first preseason game three years ago, just as he did this summer. The Giants have the best second-half point differential in preseason play (+33). They will also play their starters about “15-18” snaps, coach Tom Coughlin said. Carolina at Pittsburgh (-5.5, 37.5) The Panthers have scored 62.2 percent of their preseason points in the second half (33 of 53). Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t played in the final exhibition since 2010. However, Pittsburgh will play tailbacks LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, coach Mike Tomlin said this week. Washington at Tampa Bay (-2.5, 39) The Buccaneers are 31st in yards gained per game and 32nd in yards per play in the preseason. Washington could give Robert Griffin III a little work, but it seems more likely that Colt McCoy gets the bulk of the snaps in the finale. After all, Washington has just three quarterbacks on the roster. Chicago at Cleveland (-4.5, 42) The Bears have been solid in second halves this summer, outscoring opponents 39-13. They will play start third-string quarterback David Fales in the exhibition finale. The Browns will play starting quarterback Brian Hoyer and backup Johnny Manziel in the first half of their fourth preseason game. Denver (-2, 43.5) at Dallas After completing 43-of-54 passes in three exhibition games, Peyton Manning’s summer work is probably done. Broncos coach John Fox has never played his starting quarterback in three exhibition finales in Denver. The Cowboys are 0-3 in exhibition play and have surrendered a combined 49 second-half points in those losses. San Francisco at Houston (-3.5, 39) The 49ers are 3-0 in preseason finales under Jim Harbaugh. The Texans have given up 33 fourth-quarter points in three exhibition games. Baltimore at New Orleans (-3.5, 43.5) While the Ravens are 3-0 in the exhibition season, they are just 2-4 in preseason finales under John Harbaugh. The Saints, meanwhile, are even worse in last exhibition games in Sean Payton’s tenure, posting a 1-6 mark. Minnesota at Tennessee (-1.5, 42) With a victory, the Vikings will finish an unbeaten preseason under first-year head coach Mike Zimmer. Minnesota and Tennessee are both 1-2 to the UNDER in the exhibition slate. Seattle (-5.5, 39) at Oakland The Raiders are 0-3 against the number this preseason and 3-8 ATS in exhibition play in Dennis Allen’s tenure as coach. The Seahawks have won and covered in the last three preseason meetings between these clubs, with the UNDER cashing each time, too. Arizona at San Diego (-3, 39) In a scheduling oddity, these clubs meet again in 11 days in the regular-season opener. Even for a fourth preseason game, it’s hard to know what to expect here.

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Diamond Dog Sports #903: Rockies: +170 (2*) Listed Pitchers: Lyles/Petit #907/908: Yankees/Tigers: Under 8.5 (+100) (5*) Listed Pitchers: Kuroda/Lobstein

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MARC LAWRENCE Marc’s Opening Night College Football Killer Key Play! – Thursday 2014-08-28 18:00:00 Play – South Carolina (Game 134). Edges – Gamecocks: Spurrier 21-0 SU season openers, and 8-2 ATS last ten weekday games. Aggies: 2-8 ATS Game One, and 2-8 ATS last ten weekday road games, and 3-10 ATS dogs vs SEC opponents. With Texas A&M 2-18 SU and 3-16-1 ATS as dogs in their first six games of the season, we recommend a 3-unit play on South Carolina. Thank you and good luck as always. Marc’s Smoking Hot 100% ATS Preseason Super System Play! – Thursday 2014-08-28 19:00:00 Play – Indianapolis Colts (Game 105). Edges – Colts: 5-1 ATS preseason off BB losses vs sub .500 opponent; and 2-0 SUATS preseason off BB SUATS favorite losses. Bengals: 7-12 SUATS preseason off SU underdog win. With teams off BB SUATS favorite preseason losses that scored 13 or more points in their last game are 13-3 SUATS since 1983 when facing a foe off an away game, including 7-0 SUATS if the foe owns a win percentage less than .666. With that we recommend a 2-unit play on Indianapolis. Thank you and good luck as always. Marc’s Red Hot Never Lost NFL Preseason Perfect Play! – Thursday 2014-08-28 20:00:00 Play – Houston Texans (Game 122). Edges – Texans 4-0 ATS preseason all-time off SU underdog win vs foe off win of more than 10 points; and 3-0 SUATS all-time preseason off a win vs NFC West foes. 49ers: 0-2 SUATS preseason all-time in this series. With NFL teams playing their final preseason game, off their first win of the preseason (if off win of 16 or less points) just 1-16 SUATS since 1983 when facing an opponent off BB SUATS wins, including 0-12 SUATS if they beat the spread by more than 3 points in the win, we recommend a 2-unit play on Houston. Thank you and good luck as always.

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BONES BEST BET (NCAAF) SOUTH CAROLINA -10 -105 (over TEXAS A&M) *5* BEST BET The biggest headline here is that Johnny Football is gone – that is not good for an A&M squad that was an absolute mess on defense last season – allowing 31.1 points per game over their final 10 games. A&M are starting 2 freshman in the secondary and South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson has plenty of experience under his belt. We think this could be a 17+ point blowout to start the season. MISSISSIPPI -10 -108 (over BOISE STATE) *4* Boise enters with a new coach and the weakest Boise State team in years. This is the first time that Boise State has entered a season unranked since 2008. Mississippi struggled out of the gate last year but reeled off 5 wins in their last 7 games. We believe Ole Miss could be a big surprise team this year and we think they start the season with a bang against this weak Boise State squad. UL MONROE ML -120 (over WAKE FOREST) *3* TEMPLE / VANDERBILT – UNDER 50.5 -110 *2* RUTGERS / WASHINGTON STATE – OVER 61.5 -105 *2* 4 TEAM ML PARLAY +105 *2* SOUTH CAROLINA MISSISSIPPI VANDERBILT OHIO STATE [8/30]

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Sports Cash System extra bonus system for today: South Carolina -10½ (buy half point to -10) over Texas A&M (Bet Level 2) Spread Bet) (NCAA College Football) - Game Starts at 6:00 PM EST

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THE REAL ANIMAL SPORTS Free play – 2* Rutgers +8 This line looks suspicious to me. How is Washington State, a team with a cumulative 18-56 record since 2008, more than a touchdown favorite against a 2013 bowl qualifier? The Cougars have only been favored three times against a BCS opponent in the Mike Leach era. Last year they were chalk of exactly 1.5 points against California and Utah, who combined finished 6-18 straight-up. Rutgers has 16 starters back including senior QB Gary Nova as they prepare for life in the Big 10. Washington State loses three starters on the offensive line and that’s big considering the Cougars have allowed 276 sacks the last six years (most in the country). They are completely one-dimensional having finished DEAD LAST or #123 in rushing producing just 53.4 yards per game. They are abysmal defensively having allowed 32.5 points and 458 yards a game last year. Not good considering their out-of-conference schedule included Southern Utah and Idaho, two teams they outscored 90-10! So imagine how many points they allowed against teams with a pulse! How about 55 to Stanford, 52 to Oregon State, 62 to Oregon, 55 to Arizona State, and 48 to Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl. Look on principle alone you shouldn’t be favored by over a touchdown alone if you allow 48 to CSU. Rutgers returns 99 career starts on their offensive line plus their top rusher and top receiver from 2013. The Cougars were #102 in total defense a year ago and have allowed 31.8 or more points in seven consecutive years. Certainly Coach Leach has improved this team offensively but they are still a disgrace on the defensive side. This trip shouldn’t be intimidating for the Scarlet Knights. They traveled west to open up the 2013 campaign-a one-point verdict at Fresno State. Former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen is now the offensive coordinator at Rutgers. That should help Nova. Washington State is 0-7 SU and 1-6 ATS in lined openers the last seven years. Washington State QB Connor Halliday piles up a ton of statistics with a favorable pass-first option attack but also throws his share of interceptions (22 last year). Note: This game is being played in Seattle where Washington State has been outscored 150-64 in their last three games here.

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Thursday’s NFL Week 4 Preseason Primer Football fans looking for one last preseason fix may be risking overload Thursday night, with every team in the league playing its final exhibition tilt on a busy night on the gridiron. Here’s a look at betting notes for all 16 games: Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars (-4, 39.5) * The Falcons have an important position battle that should be settled Thursday night, with Sean Renfree and T.J. Yates tangling for the right to serve as the primary backup to quarterback Matt Ryan. Atlanta will look to improve its recent preseason standing against Jacksonville, having dropped four straight exhibition encounters and seven of 10 overall. * Both Week 1 starting quarterback Chad Henne and rookie backup Blake Bortles are expected to see limited action against the Falcons before giving way to Ricky Stanzi and Stephen Morris, who will battle it out for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. The Jaguars are struggling to find a competent center, with Mike Brewster playing his way out of the spot and Luke Bowanko and Jacques McClendon likely dueling for the Week 1 start. Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (-4, 41) * The Lions have themselves a heated battle at the wide receiver position, where Ryan Broyles, Corey Fuller, Kevin Ogletree and Kris Durham will have one last audition for the final two remaining spots. An injury to Kyle Van Noy has opened the door at strongside linebacker for Tahir Whitehead, who racked up three sacks and 10 tackles last week and my have the inside track on the Week 1 starting job. * While many teams will use their first-team offensive stars sparingly or not at all, Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone intends to play his starters in Thursday’s finale as he looks for more consistency and better execution. That includes quarterback EJ Manuel, who shook off a slow start against Tampa Bay last week to complete 10 straight passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals (-3, 41.5) * The biggest decision the Colts will make following Thursday’s game is who to start at safety alongside LaRon Landry, with Colt Anderson, Sergio Brown and Mike Adams all in the mix entering the final preseason game. Head coach Chuck Pagano will also be paying close attention to several untested offensive lineman as he seeks a replacement for guard Donald Thomas, who will miss the season with a torn thigh muscle. * Between injuries to backups and a strong likelihood that starter Giovani Bernard won’t see the field at all, expect to see James Wilder Jr. and Jeremy Hill play the majority of the game at running back for the Bengals. A strong performance is pivotal for Wilder, who will hope to latch on as a fourth running back with an outside shot at surpassing BenJarvus Green-Ellis at some point during the season. St. Louis Rams at Miami Dolphins (-3, 39.5) * With starting quarterback Sam Bradford out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee last time out, new starter Shaun Hill will likely see limited action in the finale as the Rams look to keep him healthy for the opener. St. Louis ended a four-game road losing streak in exhibition games with a 33-14 victory over Cleveland last time out, behind 198 passing yards from third-stringer Austin Davis. * The Dolphins are expected to use the final exhibition game to showcase running back Daniel Thomas, who has missed the entire preseason recovering from a hamstring injury and will need a good showing to secure a roster spot. He should expect a serious challenge from undrafted free agent Damien Williams, who has looked sensational and could wind up the No. 3 option behind Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno. New York Jets at Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5, 43.5) * With Nick Foles holding the clipboard in the preseason finale, the Jets are expected to get all three of their backup quarterbacks into the game, with Michael Vick leading things off and Matt Simms and Tajh Boyd relieving him. Fans shouldn’t expect to see much star power in this one; the teams have met in the final preseason game every year since 2001, and no first-team player has made an appearance in the contest since 2006. * Eagles backup quarterback Mark Sanchez is expected to see some time against his former team, and would love nothing more than to build on what are some impressive preseason totals to date (25-of-31, 281 yards, two TDs, one interception). Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly will be paying close attention to how his defense plays, with neither the starters nor the reserves asserting themselves well so far. Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers. (-3, 42) * The most intriguing battle remaining on the Chiefs’ roster sees veteran placekicker Ryan Succop looking to fend off rookie Cairo Santos; both are expected to see time Thursday, though it isn’t known how the kicking duties will be divided. The backup quarterback battle remains undecided, as well, with Chase Daniel starting and playing the first quarter against Green Bay while Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray follow. * The backup quarterback position remains up for grabs in Green Bay, with Matt Flynn attempting to fend off Scott Tolzien for the opportunity to be the No. 2 man behind superstar Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have faced off against the Chiefs in the final week of the preseason every year since 2010 and 16 times overall in exhibition play; each team has won seven times and tied once. New England Patriots at New York Giants. (-3, 41) * Expect to see plenty of Jimmy Garoppolo in this one, with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick suggesting earlier this week that the rookie quarterback will likely play the majority of the final preseason game against the Giants – and maybe all of it. Garoppolo has been sensational so far, throwing for 334 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions while making veteran backup Ryan Mallett expendable. * The Giants are playing in their fifth preseason contest – they kicked off the exhibition campaign in the Hall of Fame Game – but head coach Tom Coughlin doesn’t intend to rest his starters, telling reporters he plans on playing them “a little bit” in the finale. That includes veteran quarterback Eli Manning, who has struggled in the preseason but will get 15-18 snaps Thursday before giving way to Ryan Nassib. Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5, 37.5) * The Panthers may have to lean on quarterback Joe Webb for the entire game – Cam Newton is out with a rib injury and likely to rest even if he were healthy, while backup Derek Anderson and his wife are expecting a child and Matt Blanchard was placed on IR. Fozzy Whittaker and Darrin Reaves will battle it out for the final running back slot, with Whittaker believed to have the edge entering Thursday. * Running backs Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount – both of whom were charged with possession of marijuana last week – are expected to play in the preseason finale while the remainder of the starters will likely sit. The most significant position battle heading into Thursday is at defensive end, where Nick Williams tangles with rookie Dan McCullers for a roster spot. Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3, 39) * Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will be paying close attention to the kicker competition, with starter Kai Forbath unable to put any distance between himself and rookie Zach Hocker; both are expected to see action in Thursday’s finale. Gruden told reporters he’s considering the possibility of letting some of his first-team offensive stars play after they failed to impress in the last preseason game. * With the Buccaneers have settled their left guard vacancy by acquiring Logan Mankins from the New England Patriots earlier in the week, right guard remains unsettled, with Patrick Omameh looking to hold off Rishaw Johnson and Kadeem Edwards for the starting spot. Veteran kicker Connor Barth has recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon but will have to fend off free agent Patrick Murray for the No. 1 job. Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns (-5, 42.5) * Thursday is a pivotal day for Bears sixth-round pick David Fales – the quarterback will play the entire preseason finale, barring injury, and the coaching staff will likely use the performance to determine whether to keep him or cut him. Rookie running back Jordan Lynch will also look to make his mark, though the best-case scenario for the one-time Heisman Trophy finalist may be as a special teams contributor. * While the much-ballyhooed quarterback battle has finally been settled, both Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel will see action in the finale; Hoyer, the Week 1 starter, is expected to play the first quarter, while Manziel is slated to play the rest of the game. Josh Gordon’s year-long suspension may have opened the door for journeyman receiver Nate Burleson, though he’ll still need to impress in the finale to assure himself of a roster spot. Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys (+2, 43.5) * Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker has been cleared to travel with the team after suffering a concussion in last week’s exhibition tilt with Houston, but hasn’tr been medically cleared to play and won’t appear in the final preseason game. Welker likely wouldn’t have suited up, anyhow, with head coach John Fox expected to rest most – if not all – of his offensive and defensive starters. * The Cowboys expect defensive tackle Henry Melton to make his preseason debut against the Broncos, his first game action since suffering a torn ACL in his left knee nearly a year ago. Dallas traditionally enters the season with just two quarterbacks – Tony Romo and Brandon Weeden are locks – but Dustin Vaughn might be able to change some minds with a strong showing Thursday. Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans (-2, 42) * First-round pick Teddy Bridgewater may be secure as the No. 2 quarterback to start the season behind Matt Cassel, but another impressive performance Thursday may tighten the gap a little. Bridgewater, who is expected to see the bulk of the action in Minnesota’s preseason finale, is tied for second in the league with four touchdown passes while completing 65 percent of his attempts so far. * Tennessee head coach Ken Whisenhunt is expected to hand the offense over to rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who has impressed so far in the preseason but remains firmly entrenched behind starter Jake Locker. The Titans are expected to give both kicker candidates Maikon Bonani and Travis Coons plenty of action Thursday, with Bonani owning a slight edge in the competition. Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints (-3, 43.5) * The Ravens hope they’ve found a gem in one-time Chargers starter and recent Vikings castoff Derek Cox, who should see plenty of action Thursday; the veteran cornerback was released by Minnesota following its third preseason game. While starting quarterback Joe Flacco hasn’t missed a start in his career, there remains a spirited battle behind him as Tyrod Taylor looks to hold on to his backup job. * The Saints are expected to hand things over to the reserves Thursday, with quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of the first-team offense enjoying the night off. New Orleans is one of several teams looking at a kicking battle that should come down to the wire, with veteran Shayne Graham and unheralded Derek Dimke each facing one more chance to impress the coaching staff. San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans (-3, 39) * Running back LaMichael James struggled in his preseason debut Sunday – carrying the ball seven times for nine yards – but will likely see plenty of action Thursday as he looks to challenge rookie Carlos Hyde for carries behind starter Frank Gore. Fifth-round pick Aaron Lynch showed the promise last time out that prompted San Francisco to take a chance on him, and the rookie linebacker is expected to be given an expanded role in Houston. * The Texans will start quarterback Case Keenum against visiting San Francisco, but the focus will be on fourth-round pick Tom Savage, who will get the majority of the snaps and may wrangle the No. 2 job with an impressive showing Thursday. Veteran receiver Mike Thomas has five catches for 53 yards in the preseason and could get plenty of looks as he competes for one of the remaining roster spots. Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders (+5.5, 39) * Who will be Marshawn Lynch’s primary backup? That question has intrigued Seattle fans since the beginning of last season, and may – or may not – be settled Thursday night, as rookie Christine Michael looks to put together an impressive enough performance to wrest the No. 2 role away from Robert Turbin. Former Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor will see action Thursday as he looks to secure a roster spot. * Raiders starting quarterback Matt Schaub will watch the exhibition finale from the sidelines, giving rookie Derek Carr the opportunity to play the majority of the game. The top two running back slots have already been secured by veterans Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew, but the jockeying for position behind them continues into the final preseason game. Arizona Cardinals at San Diego Chargers (-3, 39) * The Cardinals are expected to welcome back a host of injured players, including safety Tyrann Mathieu (knee), linebacker Kevin Minter (pec), nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu (knee) and guard Jonathan Cooper (turf toe). Backup quarterback Logan Thomas is expected to play the entire game Thursday after struggling last weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. * With the starters seeing little or no action Thursday, the Chargers’ offensive reserves will be tasked with improving the team’s third-down efficiency – San Diego was just 4-for-14 last weekend – and short-yardage conversions. Neither team is expected to give away much in the way of strategy; they’ll face off again 11 days from now in the regular-season opener for both clubs.

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INSIDE VEGAS / Cory Kluge 1 MLB Sharp Play 3pm est. -Colorado Rockies+185

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GREG SMITH Boise State.+11

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FantasySportsGametime THURSDAY NCAA FOOTBALL 1000* Play South Carolina -10.5 over Texas A&M (TOP NCAA PLAY) South Carolina has won 19 of the last 20 games when playing as a favorite and they have won 6 of the last 7 games when playing in the 1st month of the season.South Carolina has won 12 of the last 16 games vs. SEC Conference Opponents and they only allowed an average of 17 points a game on defense at home last season. 1000* Play Wake Forest +2 over LA-Monroe (TOP NCAA PLAY) Louisiana-Monroe has lost 59 of the last 76 non-conference games and they have lost 41 of the last 53 games when playing in the 1st month of the season.Louisiana-Monroe has lost 88 of the last 130 games when playing as an underdog and they allowed an average of 30 points a game on defense last season. 1000* Play Vanderbilt -13.5 over Temple (TOP NCAA PLAY) Vanderbilt has won 9 of the last 10 non-conference games and they have won 13 of the last 15 games when playing as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points.Vanderbilt has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 home games when the total posted is between 49.5 and 52 points and they averaged 32 points a game on offense at home last season. ================================================ THURSDAY NFL FOOTBALL---(Preseason) 25* Play Buffalo -4.5 over Detroit (TOP NFL PLAY) 25* Play Cleveland -5 over Chicago (TOP NFL PLAY) 25* Play Pittsburgh -5 over Carolina (TOP NFL PLAY)

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FantasySportsGametime MLB Baseball 1000* Play Kansas City -135 over Minnesota (TOP MLB) Minnesota has lost 33 of the last 52 games when playing on a Thursday and they have lost 63 of the last 107 games when playing as an underdog of +100 or higher.Minnesota has lost 59 of the last 101 games when the total posted is between 7 and 8.5 runs and they have lost 29 of the last 50 games when playing in the 2nd half of the season. ================================================== === 50* Play Cleveland -130 over Chicago White Sox (MLB BONUS PLAY) 50* Play San Francisco -170 over Colorado (MLB BONUS PLAY)

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XpertPicks THURSDAY TOP NCAA FOOTBALL PLAYS Play South Carolina -10.5 over Texas A&M----RISK 10% OF YOUR BANKROLL Texas A&M has lost 30 of the last 42 games against the spread when playing as a road underdog and they have lost 11 of the last 16 games against the spread when playing on a Thursday.Texas A&M has lost 4 consecutive games against the spread when playing in the month of August and they allowed an average of 36 points a game on defense in road games last season. Play Wake Forest +2 over Louisiana-Monroe----RISK 10% OF YOUR BANKROLL Louisiana-Monroe has lost 4 of the last 5 games against the spread when playing in the month of August and they have lost 7 of the last 10 home games against the spread.Louisiana-Monroe has lost 21 of the last 26 games when playing in the 1st two weeks of the season and they allowed an average of 35 points a game on defense in their last three games last season. Play Tulsa -6.5 over Tulane----RISK 10% OF YOUR BANKROLL Tulane has lost 61 of the last 112 games against the spread when playing as a road underdog and they have lost 78 of the last 140 games against the spread vs. conference opponents.Tulane has lost 35 of the last 64 games against the spread when playing in the 1st month of the season and they have lost 8 of the last 9 games vs. Tulsa. Play Mississippi -10.5 over Boise State----RISK 10% OF YOUR BANKROLL Mississippi has covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 non-conference games and they have covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 games when playing in a dome stadium.Mississippi has covered the spread in 6 of the last 7 neutral field games when the total posted is between 49.5 and 56 points and they have covered the spread in 9 of the last 13 games when playing in the 1st half of the season. Play Washington State -8 over Rutgers----RISK 10% OF YOUR BANKROLL Rutgers has lost 9 of the last 10 games against the spread when the total posted is between 56.5 and 63 points and they have lost 3 of the last 4 games against the spread when playing in the 1st two weeks of the season.Rutgers has lost 4 of the last 5 games when playing on a Thursday and they allowed an average of 37 points a game on defense in road games last season. ================================================== =========== TOP NFL FOOTBALL PLAYS Play Miami -3 over St. Louis----RISK 1% OF YOUR BANKROLL Play Jacksonville -4 over Atlanta----RISK 1% OF YOUR BANKROLL Play Tampa Bay -3 over Washington----RISK 1% OF YOUR BANKROLL

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XpertPicks THURSDAY BASEBALL Play New York Yankees -110 over Detroit----Top Play (Risk 5% of your Bankroll) 1:00 PM EST New York has won 12 of the last 15 games when playing on a Thursday and they have won 39 of the last 63 games vs. AL Central Division Opponents. New York has won 95 of the last 150 games when playing as a favorite of -110 or higher and they have won 92 of the last 155 day games. Play Oakland -110 over Los Angeles Angels---Top Play (Risk 5% of your Bankroll) 10:00 PM EST Oakland has won 90 of the last 157 games vs. left-handed starting pitchers and they have won 27 of the last 46 games when playing on a Thursday. Oakland has won 57 of the last 91 road games when playing as a favorite of -110 or higher and they have won 71 of the last 111 games when the total posted is between 7 and 8.5 runs.

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BeatYourBookie ================================================== ============ THURSDAY MLB BASEBALL 10* Play NY Yankees -110 over Detroit (MLB TOP PLAY) New York is 12-3 when playing on a Thursday this season New York is 39-24 vs. AL Central Division Opponents New York is 92-63 in day games the last three seasons 10* Play Oakland -110 over Los Angeles Angels (MLB TOP PLAY) Oakland is 90-67 vs. left-handed starting pitchers the last three seasons Oakland is 27-19 when playing on a Thursday Oakland is 57-34 when playing as a road favorite of -110 or higher ============================================= 5* Play Chicago Cubs -110 over Cincinnati (MLB BONUS PLAY) 5* Play Tampa Bay +120 over Baltimore (MLB BONUS PLAY)

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BeatYourBookie ================================================== ============ THURSDAY MLB BASEBALL 10* Play NY Yankees -110 over Detroit (MLB TOP PLAY) New York is 12-3 when playing on a Thursday this season New York is 39-24 vs. AL Central Division Opponents New York is 92-63 in day games the last three seasons 10* Play Oakland -110 over Los Angeles Angels (MLB TOP PLAY) Oakland is 90-67 vs. left-handed starting pitchers the last three seasons Oakland is 27-19 when playing on a Thursday Oakland is 57-34 when playing as a road favorite of -110 or higher ============================================= 5* Play Chicago Cubs -110 over Cincinnati (MLB BONUS PLAY) 5* Play Tampa Bay +120 over Baltimore (MLB BONUS PLAY)

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Cappers Access (NFLX) Bills -4 (NFLX) Bears +5 (NFLX) Raiders +5

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Ultra sports nflx Chicago Bears +5 Baltimore Ravens +3.5 Tulsa -6.5

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VEGAS RUNNER NFAC CFB Move = (1st Half) 1144) UNDER 31.5 – RUT/WSU

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SB Professor Original NCAAF Picks (A) Texas A&M +10.5 There are no additional plays today. (Letter) indicates an official play in the 3-game progression.

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Diamond Trends - Thursday By Vince Akins VegasInsider SU TREND OF THE DAY: The Yankees are 0-10 since July 21, 2013 on the road after a win in which they had 12+ hits and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1094 when playing against. PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY: When Sonny Gray starts the Athletics are 10-0 since September 22, 2013 as a favorite after going at least 6 innings and giving up 6 or fewer hits and they won in his previous start for a net profit of $1000. MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND: The Rays are 0-13 (+$1,300) since July 2004 as between a +105 and a +140 dog, after a win in a night game where they drew one or fewer walks. CHOICE TREND: The Astros are 10-0 since May 02, 2008 as a favorite of more than -110 when they are off a loss in which they held the lead and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1000. ACTIVE TRENDS: When Mike Minor starts the Braves are 15-3 since August 23, 2011 as a favorite after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $1157.

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VEGAS RUNNER Afternoon RLcrew MLB Move = 904) UNDER 7.5 (-120) – COL/SFG

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SHAKER’S SHORTS #142 Temple/Vandy – UNDER 25 (1st Half Play)

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DENVER MONEY 3 Team 9 pt Teaser South Carolina -.5 Tulane +15 Vanderbilt -2.5

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ray dunvant football plays Uconn +16 1/2 Temple +14 Idaho +34 1/2 Western Michigan +10 1/2 Miss state -30 Tex San Antonio +10 1/2 Boston college/Umass under Arkansas/auburn under Ohio/kent state under Lsu/Wisconsin under Ohio +3

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Primetime Sports Picks For 08/28/14 3 Unit --> Tulsa -6.5 over Tulane (NCAAF)

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STATFOX DAVE'S BEST BET WAKE FOREST (135) AT UL-MONROE (136) Latest Line: WARHAWKS -2; Total: 45 Gonna follow the line movement and back UL MONROE here as The Demon Deacons have not enjoyed much success opening the season on the road with a 5-15 SU and 7-13 ATS record since 1994. PLAY ON: WARHAWKS -2

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Brandon Lang 50 dimer My 50 Dime selection is Temple over Vanderbilt. The current line on this game is +13 1/2 in Vegas and offshore. Be sure to shop around for the best line available. My 25 Dime selection is a 3-Team 10-Point Teaser on South Carolina, Tulsa and La Monroe. The current line on these games is SC -10 1/2, Tulsa -6 1/2 and La Monroe -2. I advise you to take the Gamecocks to -1/2, Tulsa to +3 1/2 and Monroe to +8. Be sure to shop around for the best line available.

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Gabriel Dupont My 30 Dime Winner is the BOISE STATE in their kickoff clash against the Mississippi Rebels at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. As I release this play at 1 am pacific, I see the line being Boise State +10.5.

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Scott Delaney 100 dimer My 100 Dime Winner for tonight is on LA MONROE at home against Wake Forest. As I release this game at 5 a.m. eastern, I see the line on the game is La Monroe -2.

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Craig Davis 50 Dime Winner for Thursday is Texas A&M plus the points at South Carolina. At 7:00 am eastern time, the Aggies are +10 1/2 point underdogs both in Vegas and offshore

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Dan the Man Your Thursday winner is a 50 Dime Play on Tulsa over Tulane. At 4:30 am Vegas time, the Golden Hurricane is the - 6 1/2 point home favorite. As always, shop around to make sure you get the best price possible.

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Bryan Rosica 75 dimer Tulsa

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Jeff Benton 50 Dime winner going out for this Thursday is Rutgers and Washington State to play Over the total. At 8:00 am eastern time, the total stands at 62 1/2 to 63 points both in Vegas and offshore

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Trace Adams For Thursday, 1500♦ Raise the Bar Winner is Tulsa as the home favorite over Tulane. At 9:00 am eastern, the Golden Hurricane is the -6 1/2 point favorites both in Vegas and offshore.

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Anthony Redd 50 Dime selection on the Mississippi Rebels against the Boise St Broncos. As I release this play at 6:20am Pacific here in Vegas, the line on Mississippi is -10 1/2 in Vegas and offshore. 30 Dime selection on theTulsa Golden Hurricane against the Tulane Green Wave. As I release this play at 6:20am Pacific here in Vegas, the line on Tulsa is -6 1/2 in Vegas and offshore.

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Brad Wilton Thursday winner is a 75 Dime release on the Ole Miss Rebels as the favorite over Boise State. At 7:00 am Vegas time, the Rebels are -10 1/2 point favorites.

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IVEY WALTERS 2% Texas A&M +10.5

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Betting First Look with Marco D’Angelo Texas A&M +10 or 10.5pts

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INSIDE THE NUMBER$ ISSUE #1 Welcome to 2014 football season and our first issue of the Inside the Number$. This is offical issue covering the opening weekend of College football. As the season moves on, we add more features. SELECTIONS All our selections in the newsletter are 1 unit plays. The plays selected in the newsletter follow a objective performance stats and sophisticated computational algorithms. Thursday, August 28, 2014 6:00 PM ET 21 Texas A&M 0-0 at 9 So Carolina 0-0 INS SELECTION- SOUTH CAROLINA -10.5 7:02 PM ET Wake Forest 0-0 at ULM 0-0 INS SELECTION- ULM -2 8:00 PM ET Boise State 0-0 vs 18 Ole Miss 0-0 INS SELECTION- OLE MISS -10.5 8:00 PM ET Tulane 0-0 at Tulsa 0-0 INS SELECTION- TULSA -6.5 9:15 PM ET Temple 0-0 at Vanderbilt 0-0 INS SELECTION- VANDERBILT -13.5 10:00 PM ET Rutgers 0-0 vs Washington St 0-0 INS SELECTION- RUTGERS +8

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PowerPlay Wins South Carolina -10.5 Mississippi/ Boise St OVER 53.5 Tulsa -6.5

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Jeff Clement 8* South Carolina -10.5 St. Louis Rams +3 10* Baltimore -120 7* Tulsa -6.5

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Real Swoop South Carolina -10.5

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Rico Week 1 College Football Picks South Carolina -10.5 Boise State +10.5 Washington State -8 BYU -16.5 UCF -2 Ohio State -15.5 Virginia +21 Alabama -26.5 Rice +21 Arkansas +20.5 Clemson +7.5 Idaho +36.5 Florida State -18.5 Wisconsin +5 Miami +3.5 Best Bets: Arkansas, Wisconsin, Miami

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Lance's lock Rutgers

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pure lock top play KANSAS CITY ROYALS

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SPORTSBOSS South Carolina

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Cappers Finest: CoversNuggz: RUtgers/Wazzu Under 62, 2 units

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SPORTS INSURANCE ADJUSTERS 427-374-12 YTD Free Play: South Carolina -10 vs Texas A&M Thursday 8/28 Service Plays Well yesterday ended up not being a disaster as it almost was. We can thank Buster Posey for saving us!! Everything started out just the way we wanted as Washington and Atlanta were both leading by 2 runs early on.. Then things just fell apart for us. 2-3 for the day is still not a terrible day. Today we have a small card with only 2 plays. Let's win them both!! MLB Kansas City RL -1.5 +140 Oakland -105

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EXECUTIVE PRE-SEASON 150 chargers CFB 150 tulane

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Larry Ness' 10* LEGEND Play ("signature" release!)-NFLX over/under My 10* LEGEND Play is on Ch/Cle Over at 8:00 ET. Cleveland's new head coach Mike Pettine has put "the QB question" behind him and turns his attention to avoiding a winless preseason, when the Browns host the Chicago Bears at First-Energy Stadium. The Browns' offense has been a HUGE disappointment so far with Pettine commenting, “I believe in the players in that locker room, that we have a system that we’re trying to implement. You don’t get in mid-season form implementing something new overnight, but it’s certainly no time for us to panic.” With Brian Hoyer named as the starting QB, he probably won’t play all that much, leaving "Johnny Football," Rex Grossman and rookie Connor Shaw (South Carolina). I see that being a good thing for "the over," as each has a vested interest in showing well. Chicago's defense has allowed an average of 27 PPG this preseason, so why shouldn't the Browns finally put some points on the board? As for that Cleveland defense, wasn't it supposed to be pretty good/? However, after a 13-12 'snoozer' of a loss in Week 1 at Detroit, the Browns have allowed 429 yards (24 points) to Washington and 472 yards (33 points) to St Louis (note: Rams converted 12 of 19 FD opportunities). After losing 34-6 at Seattle last week, the Chicago offense could use a confidence boost. The Cleveland "D' should provide the perfect foil!

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charlie sports 500 tulane +7 tulane under 47 vandy over 50

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Johnny Wynn Texas A & M +10.5 Temple +13.5

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Joey Cassano Temple + 10 Rutgers +7.5 Boise +10

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R & R Totals Rams/Dolphins OVER 39

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INTPICS ole miss Washington state tulsa under free play ul Monroe

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Sports Pick Prediction​s NCAA FOOTBALL: ALL 2 UNITS South Carolina -9.5 Tulsa -5.5 Mississippi -11 Temple +11 UL Monroe -1.5

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Doc Sports MLB 4*-braves-120.... 4*-nyy-120.... 4*-kc-150

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INTPICS ole miss Washington state tulsa under free play ul Monroe NFL jacksonville giants mlb kc and under

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BLACKSHEEP ‏ medium margin move - South Carolina and Over

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Exodus to Black CFB S Carolina over 61 Tulsa-5.5 Boise St+10.5 NFL Denver-2 MLB Texas under 8

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Kyle Hunter Tulane under

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GUARANTEED SPORTS PICKS Rangers/Astros UNDER 8

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Michael David South Carolina

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Latewinners, CFB 8.28 # 133 Texas A+M OVER # 306 Akron # 315 North Dakota ++++++++ CFB Update # 161 Appalachian State OVER # 173 Marshall UNDER # 187 West Michigan OVER # 185 Louisiana Tech OVER # 163 Troy # 163 Troy OVER # 161 Appalachian State # 165 California # 175 Rice # 141 Temple # 165 California UNDER # 149 Colorado State UNDER # 147 Bowling Green OVER # 195 Washington University # 183 Ohio UNDER # 190 Florida # 171 Boston College # 200 Texas # 167 Georgia Southern # 136 UL Monroe # 192 USC -21.5# 201 UTEP UNDER 67 # 181 Clemson UNDER 56.5 # 151 Texas San Antonio UNDER # 179 Arkansas # 159 UCLA UNDER # 145 BYU OVER # 199 North Texas UNDER # 193 So Mississippi UNDER # 139 Mississippi UNDER # 143 Rutgers UNDER # 143 Rutgers # 315 N Dakota # 191 Fresno State UNDER # 195 Wash U UNDER # 167 Georgia Southern OVER # 133 Texas A+M OVER # 306 Akron # 141 Temple UNDER # 304 Minn

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MIKE NERI SPORTS - Late Service NFLx THREE STAR: 124 Cleveland -4 8:00 EST 6-5-1 2014 PRE SEASON – 2-1 Opinions COLLEGE FOOTBALL THREE STAR: 134 South Carolina -9.5 6:00 EST THREE STAR: 138 Tulsa -6 8:00 EST

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GASH-O-MATIC 1-5 units 5* over 52 Boise/Ole Miss 5* over 61 Wash St/Rutgers 4* Presbyterian +40 3* over 63.5 Minn/Eastern Illy 3* Tulsa -5

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Locksmith Sports MLB: 2* - Cleveland/Chicago White Sox Under 8.5 CFB 2* - Ole Miss -9.5 -110 2* - Rutgers/Washington Over 60.5 -105 1* - Temple +13 1* - Texas A&M +10

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Chris James Sports Boise St +10.5 Braves ML Rangers ML

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Rooster MLB Rays Royals

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OC Dooley 2 Units Athletics / Angels Over 7.5

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Lenny Stevens 20* Mississippi 10* Tulsa 10* Rutgers

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Alatex 20* Packers

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Mike Neri 3* South Carolina 3* Tulsa

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Kelso 100 Seahawks 50 Miss 50 Indians

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Bets That Profit 2* Twins/Royals UNDER 8 (-105)

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VEGAS RUNNER NFAC Late MLB Move = 914) CHI SOX +115 Honorable Mentions = TAMPA BAY and KANSAS CITY RLcrew Late CFB Move = 141) TEMPLE +14 thru +11..and Sprinkle a little something something on the ML

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DCI Thursday, August 28, 2014 American Athletic Conference Tulane 23.4 TULSA 20.4 . Southeastern Conference SOUTH CAROLINA 42.1 Texas A&M 29.7 . FBS Non-Conference AKRON 32.7 Howard 13.5 . CENTRAL MICHIGAN 23.7 Chattanooga 16.9 . MINNESOTA 32.5 Eastern Illinois 26.1 . NORTHERN ILLINOIS 53.4 Presbyterian 4.8 . UTAH 50.1 Idaho State 9.1 . ARIZONA STATE 55.0 Weber State 5.9 . Washington State 35.3 Rutgers 26.1 . Wake Forest 25.0 ULM 19.0 . Cal Poly 36.6 NEW MEXICO STATE 22.8 . Ole Miss 32.1 Boise State 23.5 . VANDERBILT 39.9 Temple 14.7 . SAN JOSE STATE 54.5 North Dakota 19.9 . FCS Non-Conference Charlotte 46.6 CAMPBELL 27.0 19:00 ET . Missouri State 30.8 NORTHWESTERN STATE 23.2 19:00 ET . Eastern Kentucky 22.8 ROBERT MORRIS 18.0 19:00 ET . WESTERN ILLINOIS 46.2 Valparaiso 9.2 19:00 ET . STONY BROOK 27.6 Bryant 11.6 19:00 ET

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Diamond Dog Sports NFLX Cardinals +3.0 (+105): 3*

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Tiger St Louis Rams +3

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Diamond Dog Sports NCAA FB #140: Boise St: +11.0 (-105) (0.5*)

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Doc's Sports 4 Unit Play. #144/#112 Take Over 61 in Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Washington State Cougars (Thursday 10 pm Fox Sports 1) Defense will not be played tonight as Rutgers makes the long trip west to Seattle to take on the Cougars. We all know the style of offensive Mike Leach plays and he is going to throw the football early and often in this game. Both of these teams gave up close to 30 points per game and that includes playing some cupcakes with no offensive firepower whatsoever. Wazzou has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 10 non-conference games. It is going to take at least 40 points to win this game and that puts us in solid shape for a strong play with the over.

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VEGAS RUNNER NFAC Late MLB Move 906) NY METS -105 1906) NY METS -105 (1st 5 Inn)

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LATEWINNERS CFB 8.28 # 313 Cal Poly OVER # 311 Idaho State OVER

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HARRY BONDI College Football Free Pick WASHINGTON STATE (-8) over Rutgers 10:00 p.m. ET

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NORTHCOAST / Stan Lisowski

Tulsa

Over – rutg/wash

New Mexico St.

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RAS SATURDAY

UAB
Boston College
Florida