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Football Crusher
Play of the Day:
Oklahoma st -3 over Oklahoma
Play of the Day:
Oklahoma st -3 over Oklahoma
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SPORTS WAGERS
Southern Miss +13½ over HOUSTON
We're not completely sold on the turnaround of a Houston defense that had feasted on some really poor offenses prior to an impressive showing against previously undefeated Tulsa. That easy win over Tulsa combined with this “Greatest Show on Turf” offense has this number inflated. Once again, the Cougars are going to score points, as Case Keenum and company can’t be stopped. However, the visiting Eagles sport both the best rush attack and best overall defense the Cougars have seen this season and their offense can trade punches. The Golden Eagles sport the best rushing attack in the conference and the nations 26th best defense. They’ll use the run to keep the Cougars off the field while scoring on most of their drives. You’re absolutely paying a premium to wager on Houston. Not only can Southern Miss stay within this range, they can win this one outright. Play: #339 Southern Miss +13½ (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).
Texas +134 over BAYLOR
Robert Griffin III and his mates have had a field day in the Big-12 this season, gaining at least 480 yards on every opponent except Kansas State. This week, though, the Bears face the first shutdown defensive unit they've seen. Texas has the league's best defense, and it's not really close. The Longhorns have allowed fewer than two yards per carry during the past five games. The Baylor passing attack is outstanding, but the Bears have lost every game this season in which they were unable to rush for 3.5 yards per carry. The Texas front four can eliminate the threat of Terrance Ganaway, and once Baylor turns one-dimensional, up-and-coming coordinator Manny Diaz can blitz Griffin at will. If the common thread in Baylor's losses has been an inability to balance the pass-happy attack with a consistent rushing threat, Texas' wins have a similar theme. The Longhorns win when they can run. Texas is not a good offensive team, and the passing attack has been downright awful most of the season. But against the handful of porous rush defenses on the schedule, the Horns have had their way. Baylor hasn't stopped anybody from running save for Stephen F. Austin and an air-oriented Texas Tech squad down to its fifth-string back. Texas is seventh in the nation in time of possession despite some awful offensive showings against the better defenses on the schedule. This week Mack Brown's crew can fulfill both parts of the equation required to beat Baylor: move the chains on the ground to limit Griffin's possessions and get some stops on defense. Add in vastly superior special teams, and it looks like the wrong side is favored. Play: #321 Texas +134 (Risking 2 units).
OKLAHOMA STATE –3½ over Oklahoma
The Cowboys offense is a quick strike machine that puts up a ton of points and often finishes drives in less than five minutes. This allows opposing offenses plenty of possessions. The Oklahoma State defense has gotten a bad rap in part because of this phenomenon and in part because of coordinator Bill Young's bend-but-don't-break scheme that allows opponents to execute down the field and then relies on generating turnovers and red zone stands to keep them off the scoreboard. There's a third reason this defense is underrated and it’s simply that the Cowboys have won most of their games handily and have allowed much of their foes' yards and points in garbage time. Baylor, for example, trailed Oklahoma State 35-0 at halftime and 49-3 into the fourth quarter -- but the Bears' final stat sheet looked pretty good at 24 points and 622 yards. Oklahoma State has allowed more points and yards in the first half than the second only three times this season. This team ranks just 107th in total defense, but that's a weak metric that often doesn't tell the whole story. That's certainly the case with the Cowboys; this is a top-20 stop unit. The Cowboys slipped up at Iowa State, but this has been one of the most dominant teams in the nation and still has a do-over of last year's Bedlam battle in Stillwater to claim its first conference championship since the 1976 Big Eight title. Oklahoma limps into the game losing twice and having been outgained three times in its past five. The suddenly turnover-prone Sooners are getting torched by all decent passing teams and reeling from injuries to key players on both sides of the ball. Everything about Oklahoma's season suggests that it's just not the Sooners' year. Even with the blemish at Ames, everything about Oklahoma State's recent rise to power and the season the Pokes have churned out suggests that it's theirs. This is the best team in school history and it's not going to blow this one. Play: #320 Oklahoma State –3½ +100 (Risking 2 units).
CLEMSON +7 over Virginia Tech
Clemson has been in a freefall the past few weeks and as a result, its stock has plummeted to a year low. With that free-fall comes a fantastic number against a Hokie squad that they buried back in Virginia Tech a couple of months ago. Clemson’s offense is still an extremely dangerous one when focused and we remain wholly unwilling to lay points with a banged-up Virginia Tech squad that has managed just one cover in nine tries as a touchdown-plus favorite. Clemson can win this game outright and probably will. Play: #344 Clemson +7 (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).
Michigan State +9½ over Wisconsin
We bet the Spartans to win the Big-10 Championship at odds of 10-1 (see future bets) so we’re a little reluctant to play them here because of that. However, these points are just too juicy to pass up in a game the Spartans can win outright, just like they did back in East Lansing on Oct 22. Additionally, MSU will use this insulting line as a huge motivational tool because that’s exactly what it is --- insulting. The Spartans have won every big game they’ve played in this season. They have the more experienced QB and in no way are they 10 points inferior to these Badgers. Wisconsin was beat by both Michigan State and Ohio State. The 37-31 loss to Spardy is actually a flattering score to the Badgers, as MSU took a ton of penalties in that game that killed some of its own drives and extended drives for the Badgers. This insulting 9½ number will be hanging in huge fonts in the Spartans dressing room and they’ll respond with perhaps their best effort of the season. Play: #345 Michigan State +9½ (Risking 2.12 units to win 2).Comment
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DOC SPORTS
5* CFB* Take Michigan State Spartans +9.5 over Wisconsin Badgers (Saturday 8 p.m. Fox)
4* CFB* Take Iowa State Cyclones +11 over Kansas State Wildcats (Saturday 12:30 pm FSN)
4* CFB* Take Oklahoma State Cowboys -3.5 over Oklahoma Sooners (Saturday 8 p.m. ABC)
4* CFB* Take Georgia Bulldogs +13.5 over LSU Tigers (Saturday 4 p.m. CBS)
4* CFB* Take Under 55 in Michigan State Spartans vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Saturday 8 p.m. Fox)Comment
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GamingToday’s Consensus Picks December 03, 2011 6:51 AM by GT Staff
NCAA Football
Iowa State +11
Oklahoma +3½
UL Monroe –7½
Georgia +13½
Virginia Tech -7
TCU -38
Baylor -3
Wisconsin -9½
Idaho +20 at Nevada (56½)
Nevada not the same swagger without Colin Kaepernick (49ers back QB). Using Utah State as a measuring stick, both teams within a TD of each other. Too many points for hosts to cover.
IDAHO +20 Play of the DayComment
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Daily NHL Shots on Goal December 03, 2011 7:01 AM by Nick Pellegrino
Hockey Plays (sides)
N.Y. Rangers (-105), at Tampa Bay
Chicago Blackhawks (+115), at St. Louis
Buffalo Sabres (+120), at Nashville
Hockey Plays (totals)
Montreal-Los Angeles, UNDER 5
Ottawa-Washington, OVER 5½
Philadelphia-Phoenix, UNDER 5½
Florida-San Jose, UNDER 5½Comment
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Mark Mayer @ GT
West Virginia PK at USF: South Florida is 1-7 against the spread in last 8 plus two straight home losses. And it’s a pick’em? W. VIRGINIA.
UConn +9½ at Cincy: Visiting Huskies lost by 27 to West Virginia and 14 to Louisville. CINCINNATI.
UCLA +30½ at Oregon: How do you play in a title game after losing 50-0 the previous week? Badly. OREGON.
New Mexico +49 at Boise St.: The opening line was 52. We thought it could threaten 60. This is a bargain. BOISE ST.
Idaho +20 at Nevada: In the past two weeks Utah State beat Nevada by 4 and Idaho by 7. Another bargain. IDAHO.Comment
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