Thursday 10-11-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NFL

NFL Previews 9th October 2018 by Gracenote
Eagles vs. Giants Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/09/2018

The reigning Super Bowl champions hardly have the look of a contender, much less one of the teams to beat through the first five weeks of the season. Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since 2016, the Philadelphia Eagles look to put an end to their mini-slide when they visit the New York Giants on Thursday night in an NFC East matchup.

After dropping a 23-21 decision to Minnesota on Sunday in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game, Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz said a short work week might be the best thing for his team to snap out of its funk. "The beautiful thing for us right now is that it's a fast turnaround," Wentz said. "We get to get the bad taste in our mouths out fast and go on the road to New York. Thursday night will be here before we know it. ... We don't have to dwell on it too long." The abrupt turnaround could also help the reeling Giants, who are dealing with drama off the field courtesy of comments by star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. while trying to erase the memory of Sunday's crushing 33-31 loss at Carolina on a 63-yard field goal. New York coach Pat Shurmur said he addressed Beckham's criticisms of both quarterback Eli Manning and the team's play-calling and said there was no reason to belabor the issue "because the locker room took care of it. And that's all I'm saying on it. Finito. Done."

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network. LINE: Eagles -3. O/U: 44

ABOUT THE EAGLES (2-3): Philadelphia's offense, which already has been struggled and has yet to put up more than 23 points in a game, received a jarring blow Monday when starting running back Jay Ajayi was lost for the season due to a torn ACL. While trade reports swirl in Philly, the Eagles will likely use the tandem of Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement against a New York defense that ranks 27th against the run. Philadelphia could also go the aerial route with Wentz targeting Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz, who has a team-leading 41 receptions. Philadelphia has the league's No. 2-ranked rushing defense, surrendering 66.4 yards per game.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (1-4): Beckham had his best game Sunday, finding the end zone for the first time while hauling in eight receptions for 131 yards -- his third 100-yard effort of the season. He also threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back Saquon Barkley, who can become the second player in league history to account for at least 100 yards from scrimmage in the first six games of his career. Manning threw for a season-high 326 yards at Carolina last week and also had a season high with 434 yards passing in a 34-29 loss to Philadelphia in December. Linebacker Olivier Vernon could make his season debut Thursday for a defense that has a league-low 6.0 sacks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Philadelphia has won three straight and four of five in the series but each game was decided by five points or fewer.

2. New York placed starting RT Ereck Flowers on waivers Tuesday.

3. Wentz has 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions in his past five division matchups.

PREDICTION: Eagles 24, Giants 23

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Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs Preview and Predictions

NCAAF Previews 9th October 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 10/09/2018

At this point, TCU is not giving its fans much reason for optimism. The scuffling Horned Frogs continue a three-game homestand Thursday when high-powered Texas Tech visits in a Big 12 showdown.

The Horned Frogs, who were ranked 14th before losing back-to-back games to No. 3 Ohio State and No. 14 Texas last month, narrowly escaped Iowa State their last time out. They needed a field goal with 37 seconds remaining to avoid a three-game skid, and now face a Red Raiders team that is playing well of late. Texas Tech won three straight games in September before giving No. 6 West Virginia all it could handle in a 42-34 defeat to close out the month. The Red Raiders played the second half of that contest without quarterback Alan Bowman (partially collapsed lung), who is expected to play Thursday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: TCU -7

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (3-2, 1-1 Big 12): The Red Raiders lead the nation in total offense (591.4 yards per game) and rank eighth in scoring offense (48.4 points) entering Thursday's matchup. Bowman, a freshman who threw for 605 yards and five touchdowns against Houston on Sept. 15, is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 1,680 yards with a crisp 11-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The team has 18 rushing touchdowns, including seven from leading rusher Ta'Zhawn Henry, while Jett Duffey - who relieved Bowman at quarterback last week - is averaging 8.0 yards per carry on 21 attempts.

ABOUT TCU (3-2, 1-1): TCU failed to reach 300 total yards of offense against Iowa State and also committed three turnovers, but still prevailed thanks to a crisp 13-of-22 conversion rate on third and fourth downs, combined with a strong defensive effort. Shawn Robinson is expected to play after he suffered a shoulder injury late in the Cyclones game, although he has surpassed 200 yards passing only once in five games this season. Darius Anderson (316 yards) is the team's leading rusher despite a poor two-game stretch (24 carries for 57 yards) heading into Thursday.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas Tech WR Antoine Wesley leads the Big 12 with 124.2 receiving yards per game.

2. TCU has won three of the last four meetings, including a 27-3 rout a season ago.

3. The Horned Frogs are looking to win their ninth straight home game.

PREDICTION: TCU 39, Texas Tech 37

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Vegas Golden Knights vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 11th October 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 10/11/2018

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had plenty of time to mull over two disappointing defensive efforts to start the season and hope to play with more urgency in their own end when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. The Penguins found a way to pull out their season opener against Washington last Thursday, winning 7-6 in overtime, before being blitzed by Montreal 5-1 just two days later.

"I think we're a team right now that just wants to score instead of playing the game the right way, and that means playing on both sides of the rink," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan told reporters after his team was outshot 29-22 on Saturday. "Until we learn to play defense and become harder to play against, we're not going to control outcomes." The Penguins split a pair of one-goal decisions with the Golden Knights last season - each winning at home - and likely will go into this matchup without No. 1 goaltender Matt Murray, who is day-to-day with a concussion. Vegas, which won the Western Conference in its inaugural season in 2017-18, has scored just seven goals while losing three of its first four games, including Wednesday's 5-2 setback at Washington in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final. Speedy forward Jonathan Marchessault was blanked in that contest but leads the way with two goals, a pair of assists and 16 shots in the first four contests for the Golden Knights.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Vegas), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (1-3-0): William Karlsson notched an assist in Wednesday's loss to give him three on the season, but he has yet to score a goal after recording a team- and career-high 43 in 2017-18. Veteran Paul Stastny is expected to miss at least two more games after sitting out the contest against Washington with a lower-body injury, but Cody Eakin (lower body) returned to the lineup Wednesday and scored a goal. Marc-Andre Fleury has started all four games to open the season, which could give Thursday's opportunity to backup Malcolm Subban (13-4-2, .910 save percentage in 2017-18).

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (1-1-0): Casey DeSmith is expected to get his first start of the season in net while Pittsburgh likely will wait until Thursday to determine whether or not Murray is placed on injured reserve and Tristan Jarry is recalled. Defenseman Kris Letang, who is one point away from tying Martin Straka (442) for 10th place on the franchise list, is off to a strong start with two goals and a pair of assists in his first two contests - including a power-play tally and a game-winner. Evgeni Malkin has registered a goal and two assists to start the season, Jake Guentzel has scored twice and captain Sidney Crosby has set up a pair of tallies.

OVERTIME

1. The Golden Knights are 0-for-11 with the man advantage in the early going and have allowed four power-play goals in 12 short-handed situations.

2. Pittsburgh placed C Derek Grant, who did not play in the first two games, on waivers Wednesday.

3. Vegas RW Reilly Smith, who registered 22 goals last season, scored Wednesday and is one tally shy of 100 for his career.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Golden Knights 3

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Washington Capitals vs. New Jersey Devils Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 11th October 2018 by Gracenote
Capitals vs. Devils Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/11/2018

The Washington Capitals have yet to be slowed down offensively in their first season as defending Stanley Cup champions, scoring a total of 18 goals while earning five points in their initial three contests. Washington hopes to keep scoring at will when it visits the Metropolitan Division-rival New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

The Capitals tallied 13 times over their first two games before being held to five goals in their home victory over Vegas on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. Captain - and reigning Maurice Richard Trophy winner - Alex Ovechkin scored twice to double his season total while Evgeny Kuznetsov registered a goal and three assists for Washington, which has yielded a total of two goals in its two wins. New Jersey is resuming what technically is a season-opening five-game homestand after posting a 5-2 triumph over Edmonton in Sweden on Saturday in its 2018-19 opener. Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac scored two goals apiece in the victory while reigning Hart Trophy recipient Taylor Hall was kept off the scoresheet by his former team.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, MSG Plus (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (2-0-1): Ovechkin's second goal on Wednesday was the 611th of his career, moving him past Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hull for 17th place on the all-time list. The 33-year-old Russian, who came within one tally of his eighth 50-goal campaign in 2017-18, will soar past Jarome Iginla (625), Joe Sakic (625), Dave Andreychuk (640) and Brendan Shanahan (656) with another 50-goal output this campaign. Nicklas Backstrom scored his first goal of the season in the win over Vegas and added an assist, putting him five away from 600 for his career.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (1-0-0): Zajac is off to a good start after producing 14 goals or fewer each of the last four seasons. The 33-year-old former first-round draft pick hopes to hit a milestone soon as he is six assists away from 300 for his career. Palmieri has picked up where he left off last regular season, which he ended by registering four goals and four assists over his final seven contests.

OVERTIME

1. Capitals RW T.J. Oshie, whose 18 goals last season was his lowest total since 2012-13 (seven in 30 games with St. Louis), is tied with Ovechkin for the team lead with four.

2. New Jersey D Damon Severson notched an assist in the season opener, leaving him six points shy of 100 in the NHL.

3. All three of Kuznetsov's goals this season have come on the power play.

PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Devils 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Colorado Avalanche vs. Buffalo Sabres Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
Avalanche vs. Sabres Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

The Buffalo Sabres had only one three-game winning streak in 2017-18 but they can match that in the season's first week when they wrap up a four-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. The Sabres were booed off the ice after they were shut out in the opener but rebounded with wins over the New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights.

"I know it's only three games in," Buffalo captain Jack Eichel said. "It's a good start. We have a lot of work to do, but we're going to continue to put the work in practice. I like the direction in which our group's going." Goaltender Carter Hutton has turned in consecutive solid performances, stopping 78 of 81 shots for the Sabres, who had a league-low 11 home wins last season. The Avalanche opened the season in impressive fashion, posting a pair of three-goal victories at home, but they stumbled to a 5-2 setback in their first road test at Columbus. "We want to make sure that we come on the road with the same game that we played for the first two at home," Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "The start wasn't the same."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), MSG-Buffalo

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (2-1-0): Former No. 1 overall pick Nathan MacKinnon set career highs with 39 goals, 58 assists and 97 points last season and he has continued the stellar play by tallying in each of Colorado's first three games. After sitting out Tuesday's loss, Semyon Varlamov will be back in net against an opponent that he has dominated (6-2-1, 2.46 goals-against average) in nine career starts, although he allowed three goals in a 4-2 loss last season. Defenseman Patrik Nemeth is expected back in the lineup after sitting out the past two games.

ABOUT THE SABRES (2-1-0): Eichel scored twice in Monday's 4-2 win over Vegas, a Stanley Cup finalist last season, and has consecutive two-point games for Buffalo. "I think he's done a really good job of setting the tone, setting the pace," teammate Kyle Okposo said of Eichel. "He's the best player on our team. If he's the hardest worker every single day, our team's going to follow him." Coach Phil Housley lavished praised on the trio of Zemgus Girgensons, Evan Rodrigues and Jason Pominville, calling the players the team's most "consistent" line.

OVERTIME

1. MacKinnon has three goals and eight points in eight games versus Buffalo.

2. Eichel has two goals and six points in five games against Colorado.

3. Avalanche C Carl Soderberg has four points in three games, including the 200th of his career on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Sabres 3

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Edmonton Oilers vs. Boston Bruins Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
Oilers vs. Bruins Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

After starting the season with a miserable effort, the Boston Bruins have rebounded in fine fashion and will go for their third consecutive victory against the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Boston was hammered at defending Stanley Cup champion Washington 7-0 in the season opener but has bounced back to score 10 goals in back-to-back wins.

Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak erupted for 11 points in Monday's 6-3 rout of Ottawa in their home opener, but the Bruins are well aware that they cannot be as reliant on their No. 1 unit as they were last season. "Obviously when the first line is doing their thing it's easier to get away with it, but in saying that we'd like to get on the board just as much as everybody else would like us to," second-line forward Jake DeBrusk said. The Oilers have not played since a season-opening loss to New Jersey on Saturday in Sweden but they are trying to work out the kinks while practicing in Boston this week. "We've got some work to do," coach Todd McLellan said earlier this week. "We felt good coming out of the preseason. We gave a bit of it back in that first game but we'll work here in Boston and get ready to play a good team."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVAS, Sportsnet Oilers (Edmonton), NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE OILERS (0-1-0): Ex-Boston forward Milan Lucic managed only 10 goals and 34 points last season, but he scored once and set up another in the 5-2 loss to the Devils. "He was physical, he was making plays, he scored, he set up a nice goal," McLellan said. "If we're evaluating individuals, he would get a pretty good check mark from the group. There weren't many positives, but Milan was one of them." Leon Draisaitl, who matched Lucic with a goal and an assist in the opener, has two goals and six points in seven games versus Boston.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (2-1-0): Bergeron missed the preseason due to an ailing back, but he already has six points after recording his fourth career hat trick in the win over Ottawa. "He's not out there just cherry-picking and finding the easy ones," teammate David Backes said. "He works for every inch he gets, he's doing all the ugly stuff along with scoring the goals, and you can't be happier for a guy who's able to play a 200-foot game and is responsible defensively." Defenseman Charlie McAvoy collected a career-best three assists Monday.

OVERTIME

1. Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who set up two goals Saturday, has seven assists in four games against Boston.

2. Marchand, who has seven assists in his last two, has score five goals and set up five others in 12 games versus Edmonton.

3. Oilers G Cam Talbot is 5-2 with a 2.72 goals-against average versus the Bruins.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Oilers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Florida Panthers Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

Although the Florida Panthers earned a point in a season-opening shootout loss at intrastate rival Tampa Bay, it came at a hefty price. Starting netminder Roberto Luongo exited the game with a knee injury and is expected to miss at least two to four weeks for Florida, which hosts the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night in its home opener.

The Panthers will celebrate the 25th year of the franchise in pregame ceremonies as they look to build on the dominance they established last season at BB&T Center. "We were a good home team last year, and we want to remain that way." Florida coach Bob Boughner said in reference to the stellar 27-11-3 home mark from 2017-18. Columbus rebounded from its first loss by scoring three unanswered goals in the third period of Tuesday's 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. "No matter what's going on in a game, you just got to find a way to win a period sometimes," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno. "That's how you win in this league is just finding a way."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), FS Florida

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (2-1-0): Columbus also suffered a key injury when forward Brandon Dubinsky strained an oblique muscle in practice that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Riley Nash replaced Dubinsky as the third-line center for the Blue Jackets, who are also without defenseman Seth Jones, out with a knee injury. "You lift each other up when guys go down," said Foligno. "Just like guys have done on the back end, jumping in for (Jones), we're going to do the same thing for (Dubinsky) up front."

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (0-0-1): The Panthers missed the playoffs by only one point last season despite Luongo playing in fewer than half their games, so they will again lean on James Reimer, who was 22-14-6 with a 2.99 goals-against average in 2017-18. Reimer has struggled against the Blue Jackets throughout his career, posting a 2-6-1 mark and 3.62 goals-against average in nine starts. Rookie Jacob MacDonald supplied Florida's lone tally in the opener, calling it a "dream" after scoring his first NHL goal on his first shift.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus G Sergei Bobrovsky has dominated Florida with a 12-1-2 record and 1.87 goals-against average.

2. The Panthers recalled G Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the American Hockey League to replace Luongo.

3. Columbus assigned D Gabriel Carlsson to Cleveland of the AHL.

PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Blue Jackets 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vancouver Canucks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
Canucks vs. Lightning Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

Andrei Vasilevskiy looked as dominant in net during the season opener as he was through most of 2017-18, and looks to match that effort when the Tampa Bay Lightning host the improving Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. Vasilevskiy turned aside 42 of 43 shots and both shootout attempts as the Lightning edged Florida 2-1 on Saturday before the long wait for game two of the campaign.

"We certainly have to tip our cap to (Vasilevskiy) and pat him on the back a few times," Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh told reporters. "He was pretty incredible to have that focus and step up in game one. He was definitely the main reason we got the two points." Vasilevskiy, a Vezina Trophy finalist after tying for the league lead with 42 wins last season, allowed four goals on 62 shots in a pair of victories over the Canucks in 2017-18. Vancouver started the season with a home victory over Calgary on Oct. 3, but has coughed up 12 goals in two straight losses after a 5-3 setback at Carolina on Tuesday in the second contest of a six-game road trip. Elias Pettersson, a 19-year-old rookie center, is off to a rousing start for the Canucks while scoring three times and setting up three others in the first three games - averaging only 15 minutes of ice time.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet 360 (Vancouver), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (1-2-0): Calder Trophy finalist Brock Boeser, who had 29 goals in 62 games last season, is off to a slow start with one assist and three shots with a minus-7 rating in the first three contests. "I know he's pressing; he wants to score a goal," Vancouver coach Travis Green told Sportsnet. "I just think. ... he's not sharp right now. He's a smart kid, though. He's got to stay with what works. He can't just start cheating." Defenseman Alexander Edler registered a pair of assists in each of the last two games while forward Sven Baertschi notched his first three points (two goals) of the season Tuesday.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (1-0-0): Forward Tyler Johnson (shoulder) is expected to be back in the lineup after missing the season opener and has been skating with center Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde at practice this week. Coach Jon Cooper is keeping Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli and rookie Mathieu Joseph together for now after the trio produced a strong effort with six shots combined against the Panthers and the only goal - Cirelli's short-handed tally. "Cirelli might have been one of the best players on the ice for us," Cooper told reporters. "You work that (hard) and do so many things right, you're eventually going to get the chance and he did."

OVERTIME

1. Vancouver G Jacob Markstrom has an .883 save percentage in the first three games but backup G Anders Nilsson could get the start Thursday.

2. McDonagh led the Lightning with five shots and an assist in the opener while RW Nikita Kucherov was held without shot, but ended the game with a shootout goal.

3. Canucks C Bo Horvat recorded a pair of goals and an assist in the early going, but has matched Boeser with a team-worst minus-7 rating.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Canucks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

Auston Matthews and John Tavares have already made history in 2018-19, as the two centers became the third set of teammates in NHL history to each score at least six goals in the first four games of a season. Matthews (seven goals) and Tavares (six) aim to continue their torrid stretch as the Toronto Maple Leafs bid to remain perfect on their road trip on Thursday when they face the Detroit Red Wings.

Matthews, who joined Tavares in scoring twice in Tuesday's 7-4 win against Dallas, is the sixth player in Toronto history to score at least one goal in the first four games. "When it's going in, it's always a really good feeling. You want to keep it going, keep getting those opportunities and continue to generate chances because it's going to get harder and harder as the season goes along," the 21-year-old Matthews said. While the Maple Leafs have scored seven goals in back-to-back games, Detroit has mustered just two in each of their three fruitless contests this season. Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the second time in three games in Monday's 3-2 shootout loss to Anaheim and also tallied in the Red Wings' last encounter with Toronto -- a 4-3 Maple Leafs' win on March 24.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (3-1-0): Tavares has paid immediate dividends since signing a seven-year, $77 million contract to join his hometown team and enters Thursday's tilt with five goals in his last two outings. "We've got talent and we do the right thing and we compete and play hard and develop an identity within our group. I think we believe in creating opportunities with the skill sets we have," the 28-year-old Tavares said. Defenseman Morgan Rielly, who notched four assists on Tuesday to match Matthews with a team-high 10 points, scored and set up a goal in Toronto's 6-3 win over Detroit in the teams' first meeting last season (Oct. 18).

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (0-1-2): Veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall is feeling confident that he'll make his season debut on Thursday after being plagued by a lower-body injury, and the timing couldn't be better for Detroit. The potential addition of the 37-year-old Swede will help an ailing defense that already is without Mike Green (virus), Jonathan Ericsson (upper body) and Trevor Daley (upper body) while rookie Dennis Cholowski remains in question with an upper-body injury. "It really is crazy," Kronwall said of the injuries. "But in saying that, we've been able to see the younger guys even more, I think they've done a tremendous job so far."

OVERTIME

1. Detroit G Jimmy Howard owns a 6-4-2 mark with a 2.44 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 14 career encounters with Toronto.

2. Maple Leafs C Mitch Marner answered back-to-back two-point efforts with a goal and three assists at Dallas on Tuesday.

3. Red Wings LW Justin Abdelkader, who has been held without a point this season, failed to dent the scoresheet in four games versus Toronto in 2017-18.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 5, Red Wings 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Calgary Flames vs. St. Louis Blues Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
Flames vs. Blues Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

The Calgary Flames and their red-hot first line consisting of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm visit the struggling St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The trio has combined for eight goals and 16 points in three games, including three goals and three assists in Tuesday's 3-0 victory at Nashville, as the acquisition of Lindholm in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes during the offseason appears to be working out.

"When you play the minutes that we play and get the opportunities on special teams that we get and stuff like that, it's our job to produce," Monahan told reporters. "And if you're not producing, obviously you're going to not get that playing time. So I think you put that pressure on yourself to be those guys. Right now, we're putting the puck in the net so we have to continue to build on that." St. Louis is coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to Chicago on Saturday and has started the season with two losses for the first time since 2006-07. The Blues have allowed 10 goals in two games with No. 1 goaltender Jake Allen stopping 45 of 55 shots. "We start playing. That's it, right now," Blues coach Mike Yeo told reporters. "Let's quit playing shinny hockey and let's start playing real hockey. It's correctable. It's just a matter of us figuring out how long we want it to take before we decide if we want to be a good team or be a team that plays the game without purpose and as far as doing the little things and things it takes to win hockey games."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Flames, FS Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE FLAMES (2-1-0): Monahan tied Daymond Langkow's club record of four goals in a season's first three games set in the 2007-08 campaign. Gaudreau has a goal and six assists while Lindholm, who averaged 13.8 goals in his last four seasons with Carolina, has three and one. Mike Smith (2-1-0) recorded his 37th career shutout Tuesday after allowing eight goals on 42 shots in his first two games.

ABOUT THE BLUES (0-1-1): Newly acquired center Ryan O'Reilly leads the team in points with four - all assists - while Vladimir Tarasenko, who averaged 34 goals in his first five full seasons, has a club-most two. Defenseman Joel Edmundson (minus-1, 20:44 average ice time in 2017-18) missed the first two games with a groin injury but is expected to make his season debut Thursday. Coach Mike Yeo also said "there's a very real possibility" that defenseman Jakub Jerabek, who was acquired from Edmonton on Oct. 1 and joined the team Monday after getting his visa in Canada, could play Thursday.

OVERTIME

1. Lindholm has a minus-2 rating while Gaudreau and Monahan are even.

2. O'Reilly has won 33 of 45 faceoffs this season with his 73.3 percent success rate tops among regulars in the circle.

3. Calgary won the season series 2-1 in each of the last two years with the home team winning all three meetings in 2017-18 and the road club prevailing in all three 2016-17 encounters.

PREDICTION: Blues 3, Flames 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
Jets vs. Predators Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

Kyle Connor led all NHL rookies in goals scored a season ago and his sophomore season is off to a great start as the Winnipeg Jets travel to face the Nashville Predators on Thursday, in a matchup of the top two teams in the 2017-18 regular season who later met in a grueling playoff series. Connor has scored a goal in each of the first three games this season, none bigger than his power-play marker that served as the game winner in Tuesday's 2-1 home victory over Los Angeles.

Connor scored 31 goals a season ago and already has four points this season for the Jets, who rebounded from a subpar performance in Saturday's 5-1 loss at Dallas by outshooting the Kings 39-17 and getting 16 saves from Connor Hellebuyck. Now Winnipeg heads to Nashville, where it beat the Predators in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last spring to win a physical series. Nashville looks for a bounce back of its own after suffering its first regular-season shutout loss at home since February 2017 on Tuesday, falling 3-0 to Calgary despite 43 shots on goal. Nashville opened the season with two road victories, getting two goals from Viktor Arvidsson and two assists each from defensemen P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE JETS (2-1-0): Connor, Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele have combined for five goals and 10 points through three games, and Connor owns a team-high plus-4 rating. Hellebuyck gave up the five goals in Dallas but has allowed just one in his other two outings, good for a .926 save percentage overall. The Jets played much better on defense Tuesday after allowing 77 shots through two games, winning 63.8 percent of their faceoffs and killing off a late Tyler Myers penalty.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (2-1-0): Goaltender Pekka Rinne, who struggled against the Jets in the playoffs, has given up five goals in two games while starting the season 1-1. One area of concern is Nashville's special teams, which finished 0-for-4 on the power play Tuesday and is scoreless in six opportunities, while the penalty kill has allowed three goals. Subban and Ekholm each have three points, while Colton Sissons leads the team at plus-3.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg, which finished 32-7-2 at home in 2017-18, opens a six-game homestand Sunday against Carolina.

2. Jets F Nikolaj Ehlers, a 29-goal scorer last season, has not scored since April 3 - a span of 20 games (including 15 playoff contests).

3. Nashville won three of five meetings in the regular season in 2017-18, but the Jets scored four goals or more five times against the Predators in the playoffs.

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Predators 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild Preview and Predictions 10-11-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 10th October 2018 by Gracenote
Blackhawks vs. Wild Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/10/2018

The Chicago Blackhawks have stormed out of the gates offensively, while the Minnesota Wild have done anything but. Minnesota hopes to break out as it comes off a four-day layoff to host its Central Division rival Thursday.

Chicago has scored a total of 15 goals over its first three contests but needed overtime to decide each one, including a 7-6 setback against Toronto in its home opener Sunday. Captain Jonathan Toews (five goals) and Patrick Kane have been major contributors for the Blackhawks, combining for nine of their tallies as each enter the matchup with six points. The Wild, meanwhile, have scored once in each of their first two games but came away with a point versus Vegas on Saturday as they began a three-game homestand with a 2-1 shootout loss. Defenseman Matt Dumba scored versus Vegas after registering a career-high 14 goals last season while Zach Parise tallied in Minnesota's season-opening 4-1 defeat in Colorado.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago); FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (2-0-1): Toews, who already has recorded 25 percent of his goal total from last season and is three shy of 300 for his career, was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week on Monday. The 30-year-old tallied in each of Chicago's first three contests, scoring in overtime Saturday to complete his fifth career hat trick in a 5-4 triumph at St. Louis. Kane made history against Toronto, becoming the first player to record two game-tying goals in the final 90 seconds of regulation.

ABOUT THE WILD (0-1-1): Luke Kunin, who suffered a torn ACL on March 4 that ended his rookie season, has been cleared for game action and assigned to Iowa of the American Hockey League. "I'm very excited. It's the longest I've been not playing a game my whole life, I think," the 20-year-old center, who notched two goals and two assists in 19 contests in 2017-18, told the team's website. "I understand the process. (Minnesota) is where I want to be, and I'm not there, so that drives me and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get up there." Devan Dubnyk has kept the Wild in their first two games, allowing three goals on 80 shots for a .963 save percentage.

OVERTIME

1. Blackhawks LW Andreas Martinsen (back), who did not play against the Maple Leafs, missed Tuesday's practice and is day-to-day.

2. Both teams have yet to score on the power play, with Chicago going 0-for-10 and Minnesota 0-for-5.

3. Chicago recalled LF Alexandre Fortin from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Wild 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by Rick Needham at Belmont Park
RACE #7 - BELMONT PARK - 4:41 PM EASTERN POST
8½ FURLONGS DIRT THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD $62,500.00 OPTIONAL CLAIMING $80,000.00 PURSE

#5 WEATHER WIZ
#6 ROCKY TOUGH
#1 CHRIS AND DAVE
#3 PAPA SHOT

#5 WEATHER WIZ is the overall speed leader in this O.C. field this afternoon, and has hit the board in four of his last five starts, with three of those "board hit efforts," including a pair of wins, also qualifying as "POWER RUNS." Jockey Javier Castellano has been in his irons on one previous occasion, posting a win, and is back today for his 2nd ride, gunning for another "Circle Trip." #6 ROCKY TOUGH, a 4-1 shot, has posted "POWER RUN PERFORMANCES" in each of his last five "adventures," hitting the board in four, including a "POWER RUN WIN" in his 4th race back.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Charles Town - Race #4 - Post: 8:24pm - Claiming - 8.5 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $10,000 Class Rating: 83

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#1 PROSPECTOR ALLEY (ML=9/5)


PROSPECTOR ALLEY - If this gelding gets out of the gate cleanly, he'll be tough to catch. Should move well on the rail coming out of the number one post.

Vulnerable Contenders: #7 FEELIN GREAT (ML=8/5), #4 EMBLEM'S ESTATE (ML=4/1),

FEELIN GREAT - While Equibase's speed ratings are strong, I would cast aside the high one from the September 17th in the slop. Some animals just run well on the off going. May bounce off of that last physical exertion. EMBLEM'S ESTATE - Based on the pace scenario in this event, this equine doesn't fit in here. With a single front-runner and this horse having to race from behind, he sure has a tough assignment.



STRAIGHT WAGERS:
#1 PROSPECTOR ALLEY is the play if we get odds of 1/1 or better

EXACTA WAGERS:
1 with 6

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
None

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Evangeline Downs
Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 1 - Claiming - 300y on the Dirt. Purse: $10000 Class Rating: 78

QUARTER HORSE 300Y, FOR ACCREDITED LA BRED THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON THREE RACES. THREE YEAR OLDS, 124 LBS.; OLDER, 126 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $10,000.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 4 REALLY FAST DASH 7/2

# 7 ZOOMING FOR STOLI 15/1

# 8 NO KEY NEEDED 10/1

I like REALLY FAST DASH here. With a decent 67 speed rating last time out, will unquestionably be a factor in this race. Overall the Equibase Speed Figs of this racer look competitive in this affair. This filly has a strong win percent in short races. ZOOMING FOR STOLI - Bettors using horses with this rider and trainer duo have done well as of late. Has to be given consideration - I like the figs from the last contest.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Fresno
Fresno - Race 2

$1 Exacta / $1 Trifecta $2 Daily Double / $1 Pick 3 (Races 2-3-4) $0.20 GOLD RUSH Pick 6 (Races 2-7)


Claiming $16,000 • 1 Mile • Dirt • Ages 3 and up • CR: 93 • Purse: $17,000 • Post: 1:45P
FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 122 LBS.; OLDER, 125 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF TWO RACES AT A MILE OR OVER SINCE AUGUST 1 ALLOWED 2 LBS. ONE SUCH RACE SINCE THEN ALLOWED 4 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $16,000, IF FOR $14,000, ALLOWED 1 LB. (MAIDEN, CLAIMING, AND STARTER RACES FOR $12,500 OR LESS NOT CONSIDERED).
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds


Race Type: Lone Front-runner. CAMANO COMET is the Lone Front-runner of the race. * KEY ANGLES * CAMANO COMET: Horse's win percentage at today's distance(sprint or route)/surface (dirt or turf) is at least 50. Horse ranks in the top three in Track Master Power Rating. BUTTIE: Horse has a TrackMaster "+" designation or an "L" designation. Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. QUEEN OF TEQUILA: Horse has run a Good Race within the last 30 days. Horse has the highest average Equi base Speed Figure at the distance/surface. FAST BID (IRE): Horse has the highest TrackMaster Power Rating. Horse ranks in the top three in average Equibase Class Rating at the distance/surface.
4
CAMANO COMET
3/1

7/2
1
BUTTIE
4/1

6/1
3
QUEEN OF TEQUILA
9/5

6/1
5
FAST BID (IRE)
5/2

7/1




P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure
4
CAMANO COMET
4

3/1
Front-runner
84

95

85.2

83.8

76.3
5
FAST BID (IRE)
5

5/2
Alternator/Stalker
91

85

80.0

82.0

78.0
1
BUTTIE
1

4/1
Alternator/Stalker
94

88

66.8

85.8

81.3
3
QUEEN OF TEQUILA
3

9/5
Trailer
94

87

82.0

90.0

85.0
2
ANGELINA'S HEAVEN
2

5/1
Trailer
86

80

52.6

73.0

64.5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by Top Horse Analytics at Gulfstream Park West

10/11/18, GPW, Race 6, 3.59 ET
1M [Turf] 1.33.00 CLAIMING. Purse $31,000.
Claiming Price $30,000, if for $25,000, allowed 1 lb. FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON THREE RACES OR WHICH HAVE NOT WON A RACE ON THE TURF SINCE APRIL 11 OR THREE YEAR OLDS
$1 Daily Double / $1 Exacta / $.50 Trifecta / $.10 Superfecta - $.50 Bet 3 (Races 6-7-8) / $1 Super Hi 5
Best in race - (J)ockey (T)rainer (S)peed (F)inish (E)arnings (W)orkouts (L)ead (C)loser
Top Horse Win Percent 33.33, $1 ROI 1.20, For Race Category Non-Maiden Turf
Rating Pgm# Horse Name M/L Jockey Trainer FLAGS
100.0000 12 Dancin in the Heat 8-1 Jaramillo E Baxter Georgina TW
098.6138 3 Areyoutalkingtome 8-1 Reyes L Arriagada Juan
098.2890 9 Seven Gems 6-1 Zayas E J Klesaris Steve
098.0200 6 Blue Harbor 3-1 Sanchez J Fawkes David
097.3669 4 Strike Midnight 4-1 Batista J A Belsoeur Yvon S
097.3110 2 Don't Over Look 6-1 Lopez P Fawkes David
096.6589 1 Global Entry 5-1 Jaramillo E Gracida Ruben
096.4014 8 Bold Daddy 12-1 Panici L Croft Barry N. EL
095.8892 5 Love Conquers 10-1 Vasquez M A Spatz Ronald B.
095.8083 10 Big Boy Bruno 10-1 Lopez P Walder Peter R. FC
095.2443 7 Diamond Bachelor(b+) 12-1 Maragh R R Biancone Patrick L.
092.1462 11 General Paddy 15-1 Alvarado. Jr. R Perez Raul N.
If Race Is Off Turf
Top Horse Win Percent 19.05, $1 ROI 0.47, For Race Category Non-Maiden Dirt
Rating Pgm# Horse Name M/L Jockey Trainer FLAGS
100.0000 3 Areyoutalkingtome 8-1 Reyes L Arriagada Juan
099.7995 4 Strike Midnight 4-1 Batista J A Belsoeur Yvon S
099.6728 9 Seven Gems 6-1 Zayas E J Klesaris Steve W
099.4768 12 Dancin in the Heat 8-1 Jaramillo E Baxter Georgina T
099.3207 2 Don't Over Look 6-1 Lopez P Fawkes David F
099.0555 10 Big Boy Bruno 10-1 Lopez P Walder Peter R. C
098.8089 1 Global Entry 5-1 Jaramillo E Gracida Ruben
098.7146 6 Blue Harbor 3-1 Sanchez J Fawkes David
095.7506 7 Diamond Bachelor(b+) 12-1 Maragh R R Biancone Patrick L.
095.1755 5 Love Conquers 10-1 Vasquez M A Spatz Ronald B.
094.8923 8 Bold Daddy 12-1 Panici L Croft Barry N. EL
093.9720 11 General Paddy 15-1 Alvarado. Jr. R Perez Raul N.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Hawthorne - Race #7 - Post: 5:58pm - Optional Claiming - 6.0 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $21,000 Class Rating: 84

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#1 MY DARLING SOFIA (ML=8/1)
#8 CHURCH ROAD (ML=5/2)
#10 LU SEA (ML=20/1)
#7 BIT MONEY (ML=6/1)


MY DARLING SOFIA - The September 15th affair at Arlington was at a class level of (93). Dropping down in class ranks considerably, so she should be in a good position to win. A campaigner coming back this promptly after a solid effort is a good sign. I usually like playing sprinters who are 3-4 races into a comeback. Horse didn't hit the board in last race, but did beat half the field, and made up ground down the lane. A slight improvement and this horse should be right there at the wire. CHURCH ROAD - The ROI when Emigh and Manley get together is tremendous. This mare is uppermost in earnings per race entered. Give the once over to this horse before the race. LU SEA - Ran last out against tougher competition at Arlington. The move down in the class scale should suit her well. Rodriguez has an 'uncoupled' entry here. Best to watch out for the longer priced half. I usually like playing sprinters who are 3-4 races into a return to racing. Lets try to beat the chalks with this mare. Just missed last out, but ran a pretty good race. BIT MONEY - The jockey and handler combination have a beneficial return on investment when they partner up.

Vulnerable Contenders: #9 SHE'S TAKEN (ML=9/2), #6 VENUS SERENA (ML=5/1),

SHE'S TAKEN - Hasn't been getting close at all recently. Not probable for this entrant to make an impact with no recent success in a sprint event. VENUS SERENA - A bit of a lackluster effort when this filly finished eighth.



STRAIGHT WAGERS:
#1 MY DARLING SOFIA is going to be the play if we are getting 5/1 or better

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [1,8,10]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Pass

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Prairie Meadows
Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.

Race 7 - Optional Claiming - 330y on the Dirt. Purse: $13500 Class Rating: 90

QUARTER HORSE 330Y, FOR THREE YEAR OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON FOUR RACES OR WHICH HAVE NOT WON TWO RACES OTHER THAN MAIDEN, CLAIMING, STARTER, OR STATE BRED IN 2018 OR WHICH HAVE NEVER WON $10,000 ONCE OR CLAIMING PRICE $30,000. THREE YEAR OLDS, 125 LBS.; OLDER, 127 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE SINCE JULY 11, 2018 ALLOWED 2 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $30,000.


RECOMMENDED CHOICES
The Walker Group Picks

# 1 SAMMY JAMES 8/5

# 4 MAKIT SNAPPI 5/1

# 6 EOS WING MAN 9/2

My selection in this race is SAMMY JAMES. Will more than likely be one of the early speedsters of the pack going into the halfway point of the affair. He has been running solidly lately while recording very strong speed figures. Has a strong shot in this contest if you like back class. MAKIT SNAPPI - Garcia will most likely be able to get this filly to break out sharply in this event. Ran a very strong last race. EOS WING MAN - Must be given a shot - I like the figures from the last competition. Risk takers should probably take a good look at this one as this gelding has one of the best win percentages at this distance in this field.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Remington Park
Remington Park - Race 4

Exacta / Trifecta (.50 Cent Minimum) / Superfecta (.10 Cent Minimum) Pick 3 (Races 4-5-6) (.50 Cent Minimum) / Sooner 6ix (Races 4-9) (.20 Cent)


Claiming $5,000 • 5 1/2 Furlongs • Dirt • Ages 3 and up • CR: 80 • Purse: $13,324 • Post: 8:31P
FOR ACCREDITED OKLAHOMA-BRED THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD. THREE YEAR OLDS, 120 LBS.; OLDER, 123 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE SINCE AUGUST 11, 2018 ALLOWED 3 LBS. CLAIMING PRICE $5,000. (RACES WHERE ENTERED FOR $4,000 OR LESS NOT CONSIDERED IN ALLOWANCES).
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds


Race Type: Basic Race. This race has a mixed pace scenario. Check on scratches of any of the Front-runners (to look for a lone Front-runner). * KEY ANGLES * TIZ BRONCO BILLY: Today is a sprint and this is the horse's third or fourth start after a layoff. AGGIEVILLE: Horse ranks in the top three in average Equibase Speed Figure at the distance/surface. LITTLE FRANK: Horse ranks in the top three in TrackMaster Power Rating. COUNTRY CLUB DINER: Today is a sprint and this is the horse's third or fourth start after a layoff. SHUT THE GATE: Today is a sprint and this is the horse's third or fourth start after a layoff.
9
TIZ BRONCO BILLY
3/1

5/1
8
AGGIEVILLE
20/1

6/1
3
LITTLE FRANK
10/1

8/1
6
COUNTRY CLUB DINER
5/2

8/1
4
SHUT THE GATE
20/1

9/1




P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure
8
AGGIEVILLE
8

20/1
Front-runner
84

74

77.7

64.8

57.3
10
IDONT KNOW HISNAME
10

9/2
Front-runner
75

67

63.0

61.2

47.2
9
TIZ BRONCO BILLY
9

3/1
Stalker
85

76

62.8

64.6

61.6
3
LITTLE FRANK
3

10/1
Stalker
86

76

56.5

67.4

57.9
6
COUNTRY CLUB DINER
6

5/2
Alternator/Stalker
82

67

44.0

64.2

55.7
4
SHUT THE GATE
4

20/1
Alternator/Stalker
76

80

38.3

65.0

55.5
1
LOOK AT IT
1

30/1
Alternator/Non-contender
88

82

71.3

52.6

43.6
2
TRUEST OF STARS
2

10/1
Alternator/Non-contender
70

63

60.5

60.8

48.8
7
SWEETTALKNCANDYMAN
7

4/1
Alternator/Non-contender
75

61

54.0

57.4

40.4
5
SNOWCONE BOB
5

20/1
Alternator/Non-contender
78

70

28.7

53.8

38.3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB Championship Series Prices:

NLCS

Dodgers -150
Brewers +130

ALCS

Astros -120
Red Sox Even

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NLCS Cheat Sheet
Kevin Rogers

2018 Head-to-Head Matchups (Dodgers 4-3, Over 4-3)

Dodgers vs. Brewers (Miller Park)
July 20 – Dodgers 6, Brewers 4 (Over 9)
July 21 – Brewers 4, Dodgers 2 (Under 8)
July 22 – Dodgers 11, Brewers 2 (Over 8 ½)

Brewers vs. Dodgers (Dodger Stadium)
July 30 – Brewers 5, Dodgers 2 (Under 7 ½)
July 31 – Brewers 1, Dodgers 0 (Under 8 ½)
August 1 – Dodgers 6, Brewers 4 (Over 8)
August 2 – Dodgers 21, Brewers 5 (Over 7 ½)

HOW THEY GOT HERE

The Brewers (96-67) are the hottest team in baseball entering the League Championship Series. Milwaukee has won 11 consecutive games, which includes the divisional tiebreaker victory at Wrigley Field over the Cubs. The Brewers locked up not only the NL Central title, but secured the all-important home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.

Milwaukee quickly disposed of Colorado in a three-game sweep in the NLDS to advance to its first Championship Series since 2011. For the exception of a ninth-inning rally to score two runs in Game 1, Colorado’s offense was shut down by the Milwaukee pitching staff in this series. The Rockies tallied a total of two runs in 28 innings, while getting blanked in the final two games. All three games finished UNDER the total, as none of Milwaukee’s starting pitchers allowed a run.

The Dodgers (92-71) also needed a victory in a division title contest as they routed the Rockies to pick up their sixth consecutive NL West championship. Los Angeles ran a tight race alongside Colorado and Arizona for the top spot in the West all season long until the Dodgers pulled away in the final five weeks. After the Cardinals swept the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine in late August, Los Angeles sat at 67-61. The Dodgers went 24-10 in the final 34 regular season games to clinch a playoff spot, while going 15-4 in the past 19 home contests.

Los Angeles needed four games to finish off an upstart Atlanta squad in the NLDS. The Dodgers blanked the Braves in each of the first two games, but couldn’t pull off the sweep as Los Angeles fell to Atlanta, 6-5 in Game 3 at SunTrust Park. L.A. rallied past Atlanta, 6-2 in Game 4 to advance to its third consecutive National League Championship Series.

SEASON SERIES

In seven meetings this season, the Dodgers captured four victories, including two wins at Miller Park in July. Los Angeles held off Milwaukee in the opener, 6-4, highlighted by two hits from Manny Machado in his Dodgers’ debut after getting traded from Baltimore. The Brewers won the second contest as nearly a +160 underdog against Clayton Kershaw as Milwaukee erased an early 2-0 deficit to pick up a 4-2 triumph. The Dodgers grabbed the rubber match in blowout fashion, 11-2, as Los Angeles allowed two early runs before it put together a pair of five-run innings for the series victory.

When the teams met in southern California over a week later, the Brewers rebounded with a pair of wins, while limiting the Dodgers to two runs in those victories. Eric Thames knocked out a three-run homer in the series opening 5-2 win, while Wade Miley tossed seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 triumph in Game 2. The Dodgers broke through in Game 3 on a Yasmani Grandal walk-off homer in the 10th inning, 6-4 followed up by a 21-5 rout of Milwaukee in the finale to grab the series split.

PLAYOFF HISTORY

The Dodgers and Brewers have never met in the playoffs, as Milwaukee has played in the National League since 1998. Los Angeles is seeking back-to-back National League pennants for the first time since 1977-78, while losing in four of its past five NLCS appearances dating back to 2008. Milwaukee last reached the NLCS in 2011 as the Brewers fell in six games to the Cardinals, while the Brew Crew is looking for their first World Series appearance since 1982.

PITCHERS TO WATCH

Obviously the most decorated pitcher in this series is Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw (9-5, 2.73 ERA), who silenced the Braves’ bats in Game 2 of the NLDS. Kershaw tossed eight scoreless innings and scattered two hits in a 3-0 shutout as the Dodgers have won each of the left-hander’s last nine starts. Los Angeles owns a 5-0 mark in each of Kershaw’s last five home playoff starts, but the road is a different story for the three-time Cy Young winner. Kershaw has allowed 11 earned runs in his past two road playoff outings, while the Dodgers are 0-2 in those affairs.

Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.56 ERA) picked up a career-high in victories in his first season in Milwaukee. Chacin was an integral part of lifting the Brewers to the NL Central title by allowing one hit and one run in 5.2 innings of the division championship win over the Cubs. The right-hander followed that performance up by yielding three hits in five scoreless innings of a 4-0 triumph over Colorado in Game 2 of the NLDS. However, Chacin was lit up by the Dodgers in the 16-run defeat in August as he was tagged for nine runs in 4.1 innings opposite Kershaw.

Southpaw Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57 ERA) is unbeaten in his past eight starts for Milwaukee, while having the Dodgers’ number in two starts. In 13 innings against Los Angeles, Miley allowed six hits and one run, as the Brewers split those two games. Miley finished one out from a victory against Colorado in Game 3 of the NLDS as he tossed 4.2 scoreless innings in the 6-0 rout as +145 underdogs in the series clincher.

SERIES SCHEDULE (All games on FOX/FS1)

Game 1 – Friday, October 12 – at Milwaukee
Game 2 – Saturday, October 13 - at Milwaukee
Game 3 – Monday, October 15 - at Los Angeles
Game 4 – Tuesday, October 16 - at Los Angeles
*Game 5 – Wednesday, October 17 - at Los Angeles
*Game 6 – Friday, October 19 - at Milwaukee
*Game 7 – Saturday, October 20 - at Milwaukee

* - If Necessary

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, October 11


Vegas @ Pittsburgh

Game 1-2
October 11, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
10.301
Pittsburgh
11.763
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
N/A

Columbus @ Florida

Game 3-4
October 11, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
11.053
Florida
12.073
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-130); Under

Colorado @ Buffalo

Game 5-6
October 11, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
8.696
Buffalo
12.350
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 3 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-115
6
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(-105); Under

Washington @ New Jersey

Game 7-8
October 11, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
13.796
New Jersey
11.135
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
N/A

San Jose @ NY Rangers

Game 9-10
October 11, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
10.251
NY Rangers
11.612
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-175
6
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+155); Over

Edmonton @ Boston

Game 11-12
October 11, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
12.257
Boston
9.106
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-165
6
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+145); Over

Vancouver @ Tampa Bay

Game 13-14
October 11, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vancouver
10.983
Tampa Bay
12.611
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-270
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-270); Under

Toronto @ Detroit

Game 15-16
October 11, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
10.137
Detroit
11.639
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-170
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+150); Under

Los Angeles @ Montreal

Game 17-18
October 11, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
12.365
Montreal
10.297
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(+110); Over

Winnipeg @ Nashville

Game 19-20
October 11, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
9.751
Nashville
13.200
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 3 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-135
6
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-135); Under

Calgary @ St. Louis

Game 21-22
October 11, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
12.713
St. Louis
9.364
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 3 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
N/A

Chicago @ Minnesota

Game 23-24
October 11, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
9.389
Minnesota
10.707
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-155
6
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-155); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL

Thursday, October 11

Trend Report

Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Edmonton is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games
Edmonton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Edmonton is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Edmonton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Edmonton is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing Boston
Edmonton is 3-9-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Bruins
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Boston is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing Edmonton
Boston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Edmonton


Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games
Colorado is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Buffalo
Colorado is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Colorado's last 13 games when playing Buffalo
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Buffalo's last 9 games
Buffalo is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
Buffalo is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Buffalo's last 13 games when playing Colorado
Buffalo is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Buffalo's last 7 games when playing at home against Colorado


Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Columbus is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Columbus's last 15 games
Columbus is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Columbus is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Columbus's last 14 games on the road
Columbus is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Columbus's last 10 games when playing Florida
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Columbus's last 9 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida Panthers
Florida is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Florida's last 10 games when playing Columbus
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 9 games when playing at home against Columbus


Washington Capitals
Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Washington is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Jersey
Washington is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing New Jersey
Washington is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
New Jersey is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games
New Jersey is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Washington
New Jersey is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Jersey's last 7 games when playing Washington
New Jersey is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington


San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
San Jose is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games on the road
San Jose is 5-10-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
New York Rangers
NY Rangers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
NY Rangers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Rangers's last 5 games
NY Rangers is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Rangers's last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose


Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Vegas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vegas's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games


Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Toronto's last 17 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 11 games
Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Detroit is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Detroit's last 17 games when playing Toronto
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto


Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Los Angeles is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 7 games
Los Angeles is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Los Angeles is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Montreal
Los Angeles is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Montreal is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games
Montreal is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
Montreal is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Los Angeles


Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
Vancouver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Vancouver's last 7 games
Vancouver is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Vancouver is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Vancouver's last 12 games on the road
Vancouver is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Vancouver is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Vancouver's last 11 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
Tampa Bay is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 11 games when playing at home against Vancouver
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton


Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 19 of Chicago's last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Chicago


Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Winnipeg is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Winnipeg is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Winnipeg is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing Nashville
Winnipeg is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 9 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville Predators
Nashville is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Nashville is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Nashville is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Nashville's last 11 games at home
Nashville is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
Nashville is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Nashville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Nashville's last 9 games when playing at home against Winnipeg


Calgary Flames
Calgary is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Calgary is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games
Calgary is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
Calgary is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Calgary is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Calgary is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
Calgary is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 8 games
St. Louis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
St. Louis is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Calgary

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Patriots get home-field advantage plus hook in NFL Week 6 odds vs. unbeaten Chiefs
Patrick Everson

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are two key reasons why Kansas City is 5-0 SU and ATS this season. But the Chiefs opened as 3.5-point underdogs for a Week 6 showdown at New England.

Week 6 of the NFL season features a prime-time Sunday night clash between two of the AFC’s best outfits. We check in on the opening lines and early action for that game and three others, with insights from Derek Wilkinson, sportsbook supervisor at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (-3.5)

Kansas City is the only unbeaten team in the AFC and one of just two perfect squads through five weeks. The Chiefs (5-0 SU and ATS) expected to have a tough test against Jacksonville in Week 5, but got out to a 23-0 lead and coasted to a 30-14 win as a 3-point home favorite.

New England had an off-kilter first three weeks, but followed with a pair of very New England-looking victories. The Patriots (3-2 SU and ATS) dropped Indianapolis 38-24 as a 10.5-point home chalk Thursday, the second straight week the squad put up 38 points.

“Both teams look good right now, but New England looked like it was supposed to last week,” Wilkinson said. “We’re anticipating that line to go to -4 in a day or two.”

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)

Cincinnati is surprisingly all alone atop the AFC North at 4-1 SU and ATS. The Bengals found themselves in a 17-0 hole six minutes into the third quarter against Miami, but rallied for a 27-17 Week 5 victory laying 6.5 points at home.

After a less-than-inspiring first month, Pittsburgh finally found some firm footing in Week 5. The Steelers (2-2-1 SU, 2-3 ATS) outscored Atlanta 28-7 in the second half to claim a 41-17 home win as a 3.5-point fave.

“We favored Cincinnati at home by less than a field goal, and I think that number could be lower by game time,” Wilkinson said. “The Bengals are playing well, but historically, the Steelers own them. I could see this line being closer to a pick by Sunday.”
Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos (+7)

Los Angeles is the best the NFC has to offer right now, joining Kansas City with a perfect record. The Rams (5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS) got a stiff road test at Seattle in Week 5, but came away with a 33-31 victory giving 7.5 points.

Denver won its first two games, but has since dropped three in a row and is the only team in the league that has yet to cash this season. In Week 5, the Broncos (2-3 SU, 0-4-1 ATS) went off as 1-point road pups at the New York Jets and got rolled 34-16.

“You never know what’s going to happen in an NFL game, but the Rams are a far better team,” Wilkinson said. “I think the public will be all over the Rams -7, but the sharps will stay away from the game altogether. I think this line is going to stay -7, even though we’ll have a ton of money on L.A.”

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (+3)

Philadelphia isn’t looking much like the defending Super Bowl champion at this point, and now is working on a short week ahead of this Thursday night contest. The Eagles (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS) were 3.5-point home faves against Minnesota in Week 5, but never led in a 23-21 setback.

New York is now getting to the point where it’s desperate for wins, after letting one slip away on Sunday. The Giants (1-4 SU, 2-3 ATS) got a touchdown with 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 31-30 lead at Carolina, but gave up a massive 63-yard final-second field goal in a 33-31 loss catching 7 points.

“This line was difficult because I think Philly is more than a field goal better than the Giants,” Wilkinson said. “However, they’re divisional rivals playing in New York, so we stayed fairly low for now. I’m not sure where this line is going yet, but my guess would be that the public likes Philly.”

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hot & Not Report

Week of October 8th

Well, that trend of teams going 'over' the total when coming off a TNF home game continued this week with the Rams 33-31 win in Seattle. That's a perfect 4-0 O/U so far in 2018 and this week we've already got the perfect candidate for a popular 'over' play there as the New England Patriots host the Kansas City Chiefs. If that's a trend you are looking to follow, it's probably best to get your play in sooner rather than later this week.

Regarding last week's streaks, the Sun Belt East Division teams ended up finishing the week with a 1-0-2 against the spread (ATS) mark as Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State were off, while Troy and Georgia State played one another. That 1-0-2 ATS mark is the best possible outcome for the Sun Belt East last week, so even when they play one another they aren't a bad ATS bet...

Over in the MAC East games, backing the 'over' once again proved to be the way to go as only the Ohio/Kent State divisional matchup was able to cash an 'under' ticket in any of the four games played involving teams from that division. You'd have to believe that a run like that should eventually dry up, but we might have to wait until the weather takes a turn before MAC East 'under' bets can be considered.

This week it's back to the NFL as there are a few things I want to touch on there.

Who's Hot

Tight games involving the Cleveland Browns – All five Cleveland games have been decided by 4 points or less

We may be nearly 40 years removed from the 1980 Cleveland Browns known as the “Kardiac Kids” in Cleveland, but the 2018 Cleveland Browns are definitely young and definitely know how to make games close the entire time. Cleveland is looking at a 4-1 ATS record vs the closing numbers this year, but that one ATS loss could be graded as a push or even win as their number was +3 or higher for the bulk of the week prior to playing Oakland.

After all last season stories coming out about the “sharps” backing Cleveland each week and usually paying the oddsmaker, it's looking like those bettors were just a year early in their support for the Browns, as this team has been competitive every week and been paying off their backers basically every time. To have the first five games decided by no more than four points every time is quite remarkable, but may be even more remarkable is the fact that Cleveland's first SU win in nearly two years came when they won and covered as a small favorite with that four-point margin. All those years of bad luck appear to be reversing themselves every week for Cleveland in 2018.

This week the Browns and their ATS run are going to be put to the test as they are in the pick'em/+1 range hosting the L.A Chargers. It's an early body clock game for L.A there and that does favor the Browns, but the oddsmakers look like they want to really test the support of Browns backers here. There will be no more Browns SU losses/ties and paying out spread tickets this week. At this number it's Browns win the game or not.

It's too early in the week to really know which way I want to lean there, but if what we've seen from Cleveland already this year, chances are it will be a one-possession game regardless. Teasers anyone?

Who's Not

NFL Road Favorites – 0-4 ATS in Week 5, 2-9 ATS last three weeks

Betting road favorites in the NFL can tend to be a tricky proposition in general, but these past few weeks it's just been a bankroll burner. On Sunday we saw four teams that close as road favorites (Denver, Baltimore, Tennessee, L.A Rams) go 0-4 ATS, and you can even throw Green Bay into that mix as well as they were -1.5 on the road all the way until Sunday when the line flipped and Detroit was finally laying a point at home. Only one of those teams – Rams – actually won the game outright, as these home underdogs are ones you definitely want to look at right now.

Not only was Week 5 bad ATS-wise for road favorites, but Week 4's 2-2 ATS record for road chalk only got two wins because of Houston's OT gift, and Kansas City's 4th quarter comeback to beat Denver and win by the hook (vs closing line). With a 0-3 ATS record in Week 3 for road chalk, the last spot any NFL team wants to be in right now is expected to win on the road.

So what does that mean for Week 6?

Well, the week starts off with the Philadelphia Eagles laying a FG on TNF against the Giants. TNF has already been a rough spot for road teams this year (0-4-1 ATS), and now you've got the poor road favorite role attached to the Eagles as well. Not the greatest spot for the defending champs to say the least.

After that, there are currently six other road favorites on the Week 6 betting board. We've got Seattle (-3) in Oakland, Chicago (-3) in Miami, L.A Chargers (-1) in Cleveland, L.A Rams (-7) in Denver, Jacksonville (-3) in Dallas, and Baltimore (-3) in Tennessee. All six of those squads probably won't fail to cover their respective spreads, but I know I wouldn't be that confident in my card if a good majority end up on my betting board.

That's not to say you should avoid these teams or look to blindly bet the other way, just tread carefully with these teams in that road chalk role, because it's really only added money into the oddsmakers pockets this year.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL
Long Sheet

Week 6

Thursday. October 11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA (2 - 3) at NY GIANTS (1 - 4) - 10/11/2018, 8:20 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY GIANTS is 3-1 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 3-1 straight up against NY GIANTS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 6

Trend Report

Thursday. October 11

Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games when playing NY Giants
Philadelphia is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing NY Giants
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing NY Giants
Philadelphia is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Giants
Philadelphia is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Giants
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Giants
New York Giants
NY Giants is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Giants's last 12 games
NY Giants is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
NY Giants is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Giants's last 6 games at home
NY Giants is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games when playing Philadelphia
NY Giants is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Giants's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
NY Giants is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
NY Giants is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Giants's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL
Dunkel

Week 6

Thursday, October 11

Philadelphia @ NY Giants

Game 103-104
October 11, 2018 @ 8:20 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
133.894
NY Giants
126.672
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 7
51
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 3
43 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-3); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 6

Thursday
Eagles (2-3) @ Giants (1-4)— Both teams are struggling but Redskins lead NFC East at 2-2, so division is still up for grabs. Eagles lost last two games by total of five points; all six of their games were decided by 6 or fewer points. Iggles are 0-2 on road, giving up 27-26 points; under Pederson, Philly is 2-6 as road favorites. Last two games, Giants ran ball 31 times, threw 78 passes- their OL doesn’t open up holes for rookie RB Barkley. Big Blue allowed 33 points in each of last two games, losing LW on 63-yard FG at gun. Philly won seven of last eight series games; last five were all decided by 5 or fewer points; Iggles won four of last five visits here- last three were all decided by five points. Since 2013, Giants are 8-10 as home underdogs, 0-2 this year.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

AJAYI TEARS ACL

Philadelphia running back Jay Ajayi was diagnosed with a torn ACL late Monday afternoon and is out for the season. This is brutal news for the Eagles’ backfield as they’re already without Corey Clement (quad) and Darren Sproles (hamstring), though neither has been officially ruled out for Thursday’s game at the New York Giants.

The injuries at running back likely mean that the Eagles will need to rely a bit more on Carson Wentz, both with his arm and his legs. Although he has thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back games, it’s hard to back him through the air because of how terrible the Eagles’ offensive line has been. Wentz has been sacked 12 times in his three games played already this season and seemed to be under pressure nearly every time he dropped back against Minnesota on Sunday. Even though the Giants don’t have a great pass rush, we still expect Wentz to see pressure and to be forced out of the pocket quite a bit. We’re going to back the Over on his rushing total for Thursday night.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tech Trends - Week 6
Bruce Marshall

Thursday, Oct. 11

PHILADELPHIA at NY GIANTS (FOX/NFL, 8:30 p.m. ET)
NY actually covered both meetings LY, and Eagles no covers last four since Atlanta opener. Giants “under” 9-3 last 11 since late 2017.
Tech Edge: Slight to “under,” based on “totals” trends.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CLEMENT PRACTICING

Eagles running back Corey Clement (quad) practiced on Tuesday and is expected to return on Thursday night after missing the last two games. His return is a huge boost to a backfield that just lost Jay Ajayi for the season and is still without Darren Sproles and Clement will likely share touches with Wendall Smallwood against the Giants.

It’s tough to predict whether Clement or Smallwood will get more work on Thursday night. Looking back to Week 3 — where Clement and Smallwood handled the backfield while Ajayi was out — we see that Clement out-snapped (45 to 29) and out-touched (19 to 13) Smallwood, but Smallwood was more productive (91 total yards to 75). Clement had four red-zone carries, while Smallwood had three red-zone carries, a red-zone target, and scored a touchdown.

For this week, we’re treating the Eagles’ backfield as a 50-50 split and, in a situation like this, we suggest backing the bet with greater value. When the full prop slate opens later in the week, we’ll be looking to take the Over for whoever has the lowest rushing yards total between Clement and Smallwood.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

TNF - Eagles at Giants
Tony Mejia

Philadelphia (-3, 44) at N.Y. Giants, 8:20 pm ET, FOX/NFLN

No team suffered a more painful loss than the Giants in Week 5, having battled back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to grab a late lead at Carolina before Graham Gano stepped in with an improbable game-winning 63-yard field goal.

The aftermath of the disappointing loss also included WR Odell Beckham Jr. addressing a controversial interview he did with ESPN in which he essentially threw all of his teammates under the bus as hip-hop artist and fellow New Orleans native Lil’ Wayne nodded sympathetically. He questioned the passion and heart of teammates and didn’t take up for quarterback Eli Manning, responding “I don’t know” when asked if the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer was to blame for the team’s offensive struggles.

He could’ve accurately responded that the entire offensive line was to blame and been similarly criticized but the fact is even doing an interview of that nature barely a month into the regular season is a bad look. Unapologetic, Beckham took credit for inspiring teammates to what was the team’s best performance in weeks.

His tone deaf stance has served one purpose for New York however, deflecting attention from the Giants essentially facing what feels like a must-win at home as the defending Super Bowl champs come in for the first of two regular-season meetings. Instead of answering questions about pressure and a short week, the Giants have had a noisy distraction to suppress their real issues. They’ve also been handed a ready-made scapegoat should this Thursday night contest not go their way.

New York has been a major disappointment in spite of a coaching change that brought the highly respected Pat Shurmur into run the show. Although No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley has shown flashes of brilliance, he’s got just 100-yard rushing game under his belt. The league’s longest run of games between scoring 30 points finally ended, but it took a trick play and some fourth-quarter magic to get the job done.

The Eagles visit on the heels of a disappointing home loss to Minnesota in which they fell behind 20-3 and saw their comeback fall short. Running back Jay Ajayi was injured in the loss, but the revelation he tore his ACL was a nasty surprise to pile on to a disappointing start on the heels of the team’s first Super Bowl victory.

Nick Foles was at the controls for Philly’s Thursday night victory over Atlanta to open the season, but that game put a suspect offense on display from Day 1. Carson Wentz’s Week 3 return following a disappointing loss at Tampa Bay produced a victory over Indianapolis when a Hail Mary went unanswered. Still, the Eagles have remained flat despite regaining his services. WR Alshon Jeffery just rejoined the fold after his own injury woes and the newly signed Jordan Matthews is building chemistry with Wentz, so there’s no question the Eagles can be optimistic as they attempt to get back to .500.

Philadelphia has scored 23 or fewer points in every game this season and has been involved exclusively in one-possession games, so finding the Giants on the schedule might be a welcome sight. The Eagles have dominated New York over the past few seasons, winning seven of the last eight meetings. If you ago all the way back to 2008, Philly has prevailed in 15 of 19, although the last five have all been one-possession games as well.

Barkley, a native of the Bronx, has scored in each of his first two home dates and will be looking for his first win at Met Life Stadium in addition to his first win against a divisional foe after losing in Dallas a few weeks back. Beckham, whose miscue on a punt return proved costly and balanced out his TD pass and work at receiver against Carolina, has caught 50 passes for over 700 yards and six touchdowns against the Giants. He’s had success, but his team hasn’t.

That sounds familiar. New York will look to reverse that trend as it seeks its first home win since the 2017 regular-season finale against Washington last New Year’s Eve. The Giants lost their first four home games last season and is now 2-8 over their last 10 at Met Life Stadium, covering just three times.

Philadelphia will be looking to avoid what would be its third straight loss, something it hasn’t experienced since dropping five in a row from Nov 20-Dec. 18 in 2016.

Philadelphia Eagles
Season win total: 10.5 (Over +130, Under -150)
Odds to win NFC East: 10/11 to 10/11
Odds to win NFC: 10/1 to 13/1
Odds to win Super Bowl: 20/1 to 25/1

New York Giants
Season win total: 7 (Over -140, Under +120)
Odds to win NFC East: 15/1 to 12/1
Odds to win NFC: 50/1 to 50/1
Odds to win Super Bowl: 100/1 to 100/1

LINE MOVEMENT

Given how poorly the entire division fared last week and how wide open things are through the first five games, it's most interesting that the Eagles were such a heavy favorite to win the NFC East again. The Eagles opened the season as a 5-to-7 favorite to repeat as divisional champs after last year's 13-3 finish saw them clear their closest pursuers by a full four games. New York finished last in '17 but opened as an appealing 8-to-1 to win the NFC East last April and were down to 5-to-1 to open Week 1. The Eagles remain (10/11) roughly even money to finish atop the division despite trailing Washington by a half-game.

Only New Orleans (9/2), Minnesota (7/1) and Chicago (12/1) have better odds than these teams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl than Philly. Only Arizona and San Francisco (1,000/1) have worse odds than the Giants.

As far as this matchup is concerned, the Eagles were installed as a 2.5-point favorite when the Westgate's early numbers were announced last week but have been laying a field goal all week across the board with very little movement. The total opened at 45 but dipped steadily and is most widely available at 44 with a few 43.5s out there.

Philadelphia is at -150 on the money line at most spots with the wager of a buck on New York to win straight up netting a return of +125 to +135 depending on the shop. The Eagles' team total is set at 23.5 while the Giants are available at 20.5 at most shops.

INJURY CONCERNS

Lane Johnson, Philly's standout right tackle, has practiced and will play, alleviating this game's biggest question mark.

Ajayi’s injury means that the Eagles lose their primary back, taking away the battering ram concept that served them so well last season since they already had LeGarrette Blount when they added him from Miami. Blount is in Detroit now and Darren Sproles is still dealing with a hamstring issue, so look for the trend of using the short passing game as an extension of the run to continue here with Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood doing the bulk of the work.

Philadelphia also has issues on defense, having ruled out DT Haloti Ngata (calf) and safety Corey Graham (hamstring), whose absence could result in a big day for the passing game if Manning is accurate and gets time to throw. Top Giants pass-rusher Olivier Vernon will make his 2018 debut for New York, so its defense has a chance to bounce back after surrendering 33 points each of the last two weeks and recording just six sacks all season while doubling as one of the NFL’s worst teams in stopping the run.

Giants backup tight end Rhett Ellison is questionable with a foot injury, which is a big deal since starter Evan Engram (knee) has been ruled out. WR Russell Shepard (neck) won’t play either.

RECENT MEETINGS (Philadelphia 9-3 SU, 6-5-1 ATS last 12; OVER 8-4)

12/17/17 Philadelphia 34-29 at N.Y. Giants (NYG +7.5, 40.5)
9/24/17 Philadelphia 27-24 vs. N.Y. Giants (NYG +5, 43)
12/22/16 Philadelphia 24-19 vs. N.Y. Giants (PHI -1.5, 42.5)
11/6/16 N.Y. Giants 28-23 vs. Philadelphia (NYG -3, 42.5)
1/3/16 Philadelphia 35-30 at N.Y. Giants (PHI -5, 51)
10/19/15 Philadelphia 27-7 vs. N.Y. Giants (PHI -5, 49.5)
12/28/14 Philadelphia 34-26 at N.Y. Giants (PK'em, 52)
10/12/14 Philadelphia 27-0 vs. N.Y. Giants (PHI -1.5, 51)
10/27/13 N.Y. Giants 15-7 at Philadelphia (NYG +5.5, 49)
10/6/13 Philadelphia 36-21 at N.Y. Giants (PHI +1.5, 53.5)
12/30/12 N.Y. Giants 42-7 vs. Philadelphia (NYG -6.5, 44.5)
9/30/12 Philadelphia 19-17 vs. N.Y. Giants (PHI -1.5, 46.5)

PROPS

Of the props available below at Westgate, I'd ride the first score being a field goa for the value and like the under on Barkley rush yardage since the Giants move him around and have only given him over 15 carries twice thus far and he hasn't topped the 50 yards rushing in either of the last two weeks.

First score: (Touchdown -150, FG/Safety +130)
Carson Wentz passing yards (292.5): (Over -110, Under -110)
Carson Wentz TD passes (2): Over -125, 2nd + OT +100)
Zach Ertz receiving yards (67.5): (Over -110, Under -110)
Eli Manning completions (24.5): (Over -110, Under -110)
Eli Manning TD passes (1.5): (Over +110, Under -130)
Saquon Barkley rush yards (60.5): (Over -110, Under -110)
QB sacks (4.5): (Over -130, Under +110)

NEXT WEEK'S NUMBERS POSTED

Westgate Vegas opens its advance lines for the following week on Tuesdays and Week 7 currently has the Eagles liisted as a 3-point home favorite against the Panthers in another big NFC game. The Giants will be back in the national spotlight, visiting the Falcons for a Monday night showdown that realistically looms as an elimination game since both teams have gotten off to such slow starts. Atlanta has been made a 3.5-point favorite.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Betting Recap - Week 6
Joe Williams

Overall Notes

College Football Week 6 Results

WAGER Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 39-17
Against the Spread 24-31-1

WAGER Home-Away
Straight Up 29-27
Against the Spread 23-32-1

WAGER Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 36-19-1

The largest underdogs to win straight up
San Diego State (+13.5, ML +400) at Boise State, 19-13
Northwestern (+10.5, ML +330) at Michigan State, 29-19
Iowa State (+10, ML +300) at Oklahoma State, 48-42

The largest favorites to cover
Memphis (-36) vs. Connecticut, 55-14
Georgia (-26) vs. Vanderbilt, 41-13
Mississippi (-23.5) vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 70-21
Clemson (-20.5) at Wake Forest, 63-3

Top 25 Notes

-- The Red River Rivalry lived up to expectations on Saturday afternoon, although it didn't look like it at first. Texas shot out to a 45-24 lead at one point over Oklahoma, but Kyler Murray and the Sooners didn't give up. They closed the lead to 14 points with 8:28 left in regulation, and they tied it up 45-45 with 2:38 to go. However, true freshman PK Cameron Dicker would be the hero from 40 yards out, sending the Longhorns to a 48-45 victory. The Longhorns are now 6-0 ATS in the past six meetings in this series.

-- Clemson rolled to a 63-3 victory on the road against Wake Forest, as side bettors of the Tigers never even broke a sweat. The Tigers fired out to a 28-0 lead at halftime, and they didn't take their foot off the gas peddle at any point in the second half. Clemson had their quarterback back from injury, but it was the run game that propelled them in this one. Three backs had exactly 10 carries each, and all three ran for at least 128 yards while combining for six rushing scores. If only they could all be this easy, right?

-- Alabama hit the road for Arkansas favored by five touchdowns. It was another ho-hum effort, as they shot out to a 41-14 lead by halftime, and they held a 65-24 lead after a touchdown at 1:59. The line switched back and forth several times in the fourth quarter. It appeared the Crimson Tide would get the backdoor cover, but it was the Razorbacks who were doling out the bad beat with a rushing touchdown with just :13 seconds remaining.

-- North Carolina State picked up the victory over Boston College, 28-23, as the Wolfpack remaining a perfect 5-0 SU. In addition, the 'under' is 3-1 so far through four games at home. Their unbeaten streak will certainly be put to the test in two weeks when they play at Clemson after a bye. The Wolfpack are averaging 35.3 PPG through four games against FBS opponents, so the Tigers will certainly be on upset alert. There was a bad beat in this one, too (see below).

Big Five Conference Report (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC)

-- Miami-Florida was involved in a dogfight, and it appeared initially that they were going to be run out of their own building by struggling Florida State. The Hurricanes ended up erasing a 27-7 deficit to stun the Seminoles 28-27. After an 0-3 ATS start, the Seminoles are 2-1 ATS with the 'over' going 3-0 in the past three. ... Virginia Tech was in it for a half against Notre Dame, down just 17-16 at the break. The Irish fired out of the room in the third quarter for a 31-16 lead and they never looked back, winning it 45-23 to keep their playoff hopes going.

-- Michigan State was unable to avoid the Northwestern upset bug, something their brethren from Ann Arbor narrowly avoided last week. The Wildcats have covered in back-to-back games for the first time this season, and they're 2-0 ATS against Michigan teams. ... Nebraska suffered another loss, as Wisconsin added to their misery. The Cornhuskers are 0-5 SU, but at least they covered for the first time in five tries. The 'over' has hit in each of their past three. ... Indiana was a thorn in the side of Ohio State again, as the Hoosiers were good for 26 points at the Horseshoe, and they entered the fourth quarter down just 35-26. The Buckeyes gained a little bit of separation for the 49-26 win, but it wasn't as lopsided as that score indicates.

-- Oklahoma was upset by Iowa State Iast year, and this season the Cyclones upended another team from the Sooner State. Oklahoma State suffered the 48-42 setback at home in a game which had a total of just 55.5 points. It was 30-21 at halftime, so 'over' bettors certainly enjoyed the game no matter the result of the line. ... West Virginia might be carrying the flag for the Big 12 now that Oklahoma suffered their first loss of the season. The Mountaineers topped doormat Kansas for the 38-22 win. It wasn't quite a bad beat, although somewhere somebody lost a teaser when the Jayhawks scored with :00 on the clock.

-- Washington struggled with winless UCLA, winning just 31-24 despite being favored on the road by three touchdowns. The Bruins slipped to 0-5 SU, and they're just 2-3 ATS. Those two covers against against Top 25 teams Oklahoma and Washington, with the 'over' cashing in each outing. ... Stanford was going to be in trouble with Heisman hopeful RB Bryce Love (ankle) sidelined, but everyone still expected the Cardinal to get it done against Utah. The Utes were desperate for a win, however, looking to keep their hopes alive in the Pac-12 South, and they were able to post a 40-21 victory. Not only did they win for the first time in three games, they covered for the first time against an FBS team.

-- Kentucky suffered their first loss of the season at Texas A&M in a surprisingly defensive battle, 20-14. This one went to overtime and there was a bad beat involved in the result of this one, too. ... Florida introduced the No. 15 of Tim Tebow into their ring of honor at 'The Swamp'. No way they were losing to LSU, right? The Tigers were winning and covering with 11:14 to go, 19-14. However, Florida took the lead for good 20-19 with 8:48 to go, and they added a pick-six for good measure, a game-changer for total bettors (see below).

Bad Beats

-- There were plenty of bad beats, and they all involved big schools, too. We mentioned Arkansas covering with :13 remaining, but reallly, the Crimson Tide side bettors were only winning for a minute or two, so was it really THAT bad of a beat?

-- In Gainesville, total bettors (44.5) looked to be in good shape with the Gators up 20-19 with less than two minutes to go and LSU deep in their own territory. However, the Tigers were picked off by Brad Stewart who housed a 25-yard interception for score to flip the 'under' to an 'over'.

-- Florida Atlantic entered their game against OId Dominion at 0-5 ATS. The Owls were favored by two touchdowns at most shops, and it was a topsy-turvy fourth quarter. ODU cut FAU's lead to five, 32-27, with 12:13 left in regulation. The Owls scored twice to go up 46-27 with 6:43 to go. The Monarchs appeared to give their side bettors a backdoor cover, but FAU rattled off a 44-yard run by stud RB Devin Singletary for the 52-33 win and cover with 2:17 to go.

-- In that Kentucky-Texas A&M game in College Station, the Wildcats forced overtime at 14-14, catching five. They missed the field goal on their first possession of OT, so surely the Aggies would boot a field goal and Wildcats side bettors would cover the five, right? A&M scored a TD and dished out a bad beat, extra-time style with a 20-14 win.

-- On Thursday, the side and total were involved in a bad beat. Georgia State hit a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:46 to go, cutting the lead of Troy to 37-20 and that's how it ended. The line ended up a push at most shops thanks to the miracle two-point play, and that also flipped the total (55.5) from an under to an over.

-- The New Mexico-UNLV game was scoreless through the first quarter, so 'under' (63) bettors were feeling pretty good. UNM had a 29-point outburst in the second, but still led just 36-0 heading to the fourth quarter. The Runnin' Rebels scored a total of just seven points in the first 55-plus minutes of play, but notched a meaningless TD at 4:43 to go, inching the total just over (63) and that's how the game finished.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAF
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 11

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TEXAS TECH (3 - 2) at TCU (3 - 2) - 10/11/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TCU is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in home games after a bye week since 1992.
TCU is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
TCU is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
TCU is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
TCU is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
TCU is 2-15 ATS (-14.5 Units) in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TCU is 1-1 against the spread versus TEXAS TECH over the last 3 seasons
TCU is 1-1 straight up against TEXAS TECH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GA SOUTHERN (4 - 1) at TEXAS ST (1 - 4) - 10/11/2018, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAF

Week 7

Trend Report

Thursday, October 11

Texas Tech @ Texas Christian
Texas Tech
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas Tech's last 5 games on the road
Texas Tech is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Texas Christian

Texas Christian
Texas Christian is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Texas Christian is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games

Georgia Southern @ Texas State
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Georgia Southern is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

Texas State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas State's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Texas State's last 6 game

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Week 7

Thursday, October 11

Texas Tech @ TCU

Game 105-106
October 11, 2018 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas Tech
93.205
TCU
103.318
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
TCU
by 10
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
TCU
by 7
61
Dunkel Pick:
TCU
(-7); Under

Georgia Southern @ Texas State

Game 107-108
October 11, 2018 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Georgia Southern
76.733
Texas State
61.289
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Georgia Southern
by 15 1/2
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Georgia Southern
by 17 1/2
49
Dunkel Pick:
Texas State
(+17 1/2); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAF

Week 7

Thursday’s games
TCU lost two of last three games; they were minus-9 in turnovers in those games, and were held to 16-17 points in last two games. Horned Frogs are 2-10-1 vs spread in last 13 games as home favorites. Texas Tech scored 46 ppg in its last three games; they’re 9-4 in last 13 games as road underdogs. Road team won last three Texas Tech-TCU games; Tech won two of last three visits here, with both wins by 3 points, the loss was 82-27 in ’14. Underdogs covered four of last six series games. Big X home favorites are 3-5 vs spread this season.

Georgia Southern won both its games with Texas State 37-13/28-25, with last meeting in ’15. Eagles are 4-1 this season, 4-0 vs spread; their only loss was 38-7 at Clemson- this is GSU’s first road game since then. GSU covered only one of last five games as road favorites. Texas State is 0-4 vs I-A teams, with only one loss by less than 10 points; Bobcats gave up 327 rushing yards LW is 42-27 home loss to ULL. Under Withers, TSU is 3-8 vs spread as home underdogs. Three of four Georgia Southern games stayed under.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tech Trends - Week 7
Bruce Marshall

Thursday, Oct. 11

TEXAS TECH at TCU...TCU 2-11-1 as Fort Worth chalk since 2016, 11-21-1 overall vs. spread since 2016. Tech 9-4 vs. spread last 13 as visiting dog.
Texas Tech, based on team trends.


GEORGIA SOUTHERN at TROY STATE...GS 5-0 vs. spread in 2018, 7-1 last 8 since late 2017. Also covered last four as dog. Troy 4-0-1 vs. line last five this season and has covered last 4 in 2018 but is 0-4 vs. line last 4 vs. Eagles.
Georgia Southern, based on team and series trends.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dustin Hawkins Oct 11 '18, 7:05 PM in 4h
NHL | Sharks vs Rangers
Play on: Sharks -143 at BMaker

Free Play on Sharks -143

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sal Michaels Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: Georgia Southern -16½ -110 at YouWager

Free Play on Georgia Southern -16½ -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cole Faxon Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: Texas State +18 -105 at Bovada

FREE PLAY on Texas State +18 -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bobby Conn Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Texas Tech vs TCU
Play on: TCU -7 -110 at Bovada

1* Free Play on TCU -7 -110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mike Williams Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: Texas State +18 -105 at Bovada

1* on Texas State +18 -105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kenny Walker Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: Texas State +18 -110 at Bovada

Free Pick on Texas State

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jimmy Boyd Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: OVER 49 -110

1* Free Pick on /Ga SouthernTexas State OVER 49
The books have set the total way too low for Thursday's Sun Belt action between Georgia Southern and Texas State. The Eagles come into this one off a season-high 48 points against South Alabama, as they continue to move the ball at will on the ground against lessor competition.
Georgia Southern is averaging 30.8 ppg and 275 rushing yards/game, despite scoring just 7-points and rushing for a mere 80 yards in a massive step-up game at Clemson. After watching the Bobcats give up 327 rushing yards in last week's game against Lafayette, they aren't slowing down this Eagles rushing attack.
The key here is that I believe Texas State is going to also have a lot of success offensively in this one. The Bobcats are averaging 28.8 ppg over their last 4 and 31.5 ppg at home. Georgia Southern's defense isn't as good as the 18.2 ppg they are allowing, as they have really benefited from playing 4 of their first 5 at home.
The other big key here is both defenses will be running on fumes, as both teams were in action this past Saturday, so each will have had just 4 days to recover for this contest.
OVER is 8-1 in Georgia Southern's last 9 vs a team with a losing record. It's also 6-0 in the Bobcats last 6 home games and 5-1 in their last 6 conference matchups. Take the OVER!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Info Plays Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: UNDER 50½ -109

1* Free Play on Georgia Southern vs Texas State under 50½ -109

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brandon Lee Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Georgia Southern vs Texas State
Play on: Georgia Southern -17 -125 at betonline

10* FREE NCAAF PICK (Georgia Southern -17)
I'll take my chances here with Georgia Southern covering the big number on the road against the Bobcats. The Eagles were clearly way undervalued coming into this season and that’s evident by the fact that they are sitting at 5-0 ATS with some big time covers.Three different times they have covered the number by at least 10 points.
Why are they so undervalued? Georgia Southern went just 2-10 last year and over the previous two seasons had gone a miserable 6-16-2 ATS. They have recommitted to running the option, are in year two under head coach Chad Lunsford and returned 18 starters.
As inflated as this number might seem, I actually think it’s no where close to enough. Texas State is one of the worst FBS teams in the country. They lost 35-7 to a Rutgers team that has since lost by 20+ points to Kansas, Buffalo and Illinois. They lost to a South Alabama team by 10, who not only lost to Georgia Southern by 35, but was annihilated 52-7 by Appalachian State. They also lost to a bad UTSA team that struggled to beat the likes of Rice and UTEP.
I think it’s really hard for the books to adjust the numbers on teams like Texas State who are so bad. Unlike a lot of teams who are going to get fired up for a weekday game, the Bobcats aren’t one of them, especially playing on just 4 days of rest against an option offense. Texas State is giving up almost 12 ppg more than what their opponent is averaging and scoring nearly 16 points less than what their opponents are allowing. Georgia Southern is going to score at will here. The Eagles are averaging 275 rushing yards/game and that’s with just 80 yards in their game against Clemson.
It’s also worth noting that Clemson is the only team to score more than 21 points against this Georgia Southern defense. I just think so much is going to have to go right for Texas State to make this game respectable, that it's worth the risk to lay the big number on the road. Give me the Eagles -17!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Steve Janus Oct 11 '18, 7:30 PM in 4h
NCAA-F | Texas Tech vs TCU
Play on: TCU -7 -105 at Bovada

1* Free Sharp Play on TCU -7 -105
My money is on the TCU Horned Frogs to cover the touchdown spread at home against the Red Raiders. TCU has arguably the best defense in the Big 12 and have held this high-powered Texas Tech offense to a combined 27 points in the last two meetings. Making matters even worse for the Red Raiders is they are likely down to 3rd string QB, as their best signal caller, Alan Bowman is doubtful to play after suffering a collapsed lung in their last game vs West Virginia. TCU's offense has been held in check the last 3 weeks, but have played 3 really good defenses in Ohio St, Texas and ISU. Tech isn't as bad defensively as years past, but will be no match for the Horned Frogs on the road. Give me TCU -7!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rocky Atkinson Oct 11 '18, 8:20 PM in 5h
NFL | Eagles vs Giants
Play on: Giants +3 -115 at Bovada

Rocketman Sports FREE NFL play Thursday 10-11-18 Philadelphia @ NY Giants 8:20 PM EST
Play On: NY Giants +3 -115 The Philadelphia Eagles travel to New York to take on the Giants on Thursday night. Philadelphia is 2-3 SU overall this year while the NY Giants come in with a 1-4 SU overall record on the season. NY Giants offense is averaging 262.2 yards per game passing this year. Philadelphia is allowing 276.8 yards per game passing this season. Philadelphia is 2-6 SU and 1-7 ATS last 3 years when playing on turf. Philadelphia is 0-2 SU on the road this year where they are allowing 26.5 points per game. NY Giants are scoring 25.3 points per game their past 3 games overall. We'll recommend a small play on NY Giants tonight! Thanks and good luck, Rocky Rocketman Sports has a TOP RATED 10* CFB MONSTER going Thursday! Rocketman is on a MASSIVE 90-55 62% all sports run his last 145 picks overall! Get on board now and WIN BIG tonight! Rocky Atkinson has a TOP RATED 10* NHL MONSTER for Thursday. One of the BEST HANDICAPPERS in the world is on an impressive 8-1 89% NHL run over his last 9 picks! Join the same handicapper that has made $1,000/game bettors $7,000 since February 05, 2018! Perfect 100% so far this year in NHL!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Marc Lawrence Oct 11 '18, 8:20 PM in 5h
NFL | Eagles vs Giants
Play on: OVER 44 -103

Play - Eagles-Giants OVER (Game 103-104).
Edges: Eagles: defending Super Bowl champions coming off consecutive losses are 15-9 OVER when facing division foes … Giants: 5-0 OVER last five games in this series … We recommend a 1* play on the OVER total in this game. Thank you and good luck as always.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brian Bitler

Brian's 9* NHL Market Mover

Colorado vs. Buffalo, 10/11/2018 19:00 EDT

Money Line: -101 Buffalo

Sportsbook:
PinnacleSports

Buffalo will be one of those team I play a'lot early in the season as I feel like we are getting a great deal on price and are again tonight. The Sabers opened up at -115 and this line has slowly inched down as we see people pile on the road team here.

Buffalo has had an extra day of rest and head out on a long road trip after tonight's game so this win will be key for them and the opposite is going on for Colorado as they head home for one game before heading back out on the road. Look for them to want to get this one over with and Buffalo is a very talented young team.

Invest 9 units on the Sabers here rotation #6

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Tony Brown

Tonys *10 NHL free pick

San Jose vs. NY Rangers, 10/11/2018 19:00 EDT

Money Line: -142 San Jose

Sportsbook:
Betonline

Fp: still early in the season but after 3 games rangers still winless ! Until they find a way to win gonna keep betting against them making the sharks my nhl free pick

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Primetime Sports Picks

CFB Texas St. over 49.5

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Doc's Picks

NFL Giants over 43.5

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National Sports Service

CFB Texas St. +17.5

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The Spot Player

NHL Nashville -130

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Profit On Sports

CFB TCU over 60

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Team Underground NCAA Football TEXAS STATE BOBCATS +17.5

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Assassin Sports Betting NCAA Football TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS +10 ‑140

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EW SPORTS PICKS NCAA Football TEXAS CHRISTIAN HORNED FROGS ‑7 ‑115

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Power Play Wins NHL FLORIDA PANTHERS ‑135

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Brand X Sports NHL COLORADO AVALANCHE/BUFFALO SABRES o6

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Top Dog NHL CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS +125

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Vegas Investment Picks NFL PHILADELPHIA EAGLES/NEW YORK GIANTS o43.5

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Tommy King Wins NCAA Football TEXAS CHRISTIAN HORNED FROGS ‑7

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Mikey Money NFL NEW YORK GIANTS +3

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Best Sports Capper NHL TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ‑160

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First Half Sports NHL WASHINGTON CAPITALS +105

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LPW Sports Forecast NHL VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS/PITTSBURGH PENGUINS u6.5

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Mikey Sports NCAA Football GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES ‑17 ‑125

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MVP Lock Club NHL MONTRÉAL CANADIENS ‑105

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Picks 2 Play NHL CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS +150

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Pinnacle Sports Picks NHL NASHVILLE PREDATORS ‑125

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Rocketman Sports NFL NEW YORK GIANTS +3 ‑115

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Total Winner Sports NHL COLORADO AVALANCHE ‑110

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VIP Sports Lock Club NHL PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ‑175

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VIP Sports Picks Las Vegas NHL SAN JOSE SHARKS ‑140

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Wise Guy Insider NHL FLORIDA PANTHERS ‑135