11-18-12

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Hilton Contest Picks
Stl 308

gb 276

tb 231

pit 224

cle 209

no 194

cin 192

sf 187

car 139

ind 160

sd 130

oak 119

ne 117

ari 116

bal 116

was 116

den 110

det 104

phi 88

jax 86

dal 79

kc 61

buf 60

atl 52

chi 50

nyj 48

hou 41

mia 37

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Hilton Contest Picks by the Leaders

KURLY - W33 L15 T2 LW 4-1
Week 11 Picks: GB CLE JAX OAK DEN

THERE WILL BE BLOOD - W33 L16 T1 LW 2-3
Week 11 Picks: GB TB DAL NO PIT

CARDIFF GIANT - W33 L16 T1 LW 3-2
Week 11 Picks: PHI CAR CLE JAX SD

MALU MAN - W32 L17 T1 LW 4-1
Week 11 Picks: GB ARI CIN NO SF

SULLY SPORTS - W32 L17 T1 LW 4-1
Week 11 Picks: DET ARI CLE OAK SD

MIKE BOYD #1 - W32 L17 T1 LW 2-3
Week 11 Picks: GB CLE NE OAK SF

JAY STONES - W32 L17 T1 LW 3-2
Week 11 Picks: DET CLE CIN PIT SF

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NFL Weather Watch: Chance of Rain in Oakland

Find out if weather will impact your wagers in Week 10 of the NFL season:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (1, 48)

Site: Bank of America Stadium

Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-50s under partly cloudy skies. Winds will blow out of the NNE at 11 mph.

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (3.5, 43.5)

Site: Arrowhead Stadium

Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the low-60s under partly cloudy skies. Winds will blow out of the south at 13 mph.

New Orleans Saints at Oakland Raiders (4.5, 54.5)

Site: O.co Coliseum

Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the high-50s with a 40 percent chance of rain. Winds will blow out of the south at 6 mph.

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Canadian Bacon: Stamps' Tate out for season

And then there were four. The battle for football supremacy north of the border rages on this Sunday as the Montreal Alouettes host the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern Final, while the Calgary Stampeders travel to B.C. for a date with the Lions in the West finale.

Toronto at Montreal (-5, 55)

The Argonauts posted 31 second-quarter points to jump out to an early lead and cruise past Edmonton last week for the right to square off with the Alouettes. Quarterback Ricky Ray had lost twice to his former club during the regular season before connecting on 23 of his 30 passes for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The veteran QB has guided the Argos to a 4-0 record O/U in their last four contests overall.

Montreal took two of three from Toronto during the regular season, although Ray was absent for the majority of the second meeting and the entire third contest due to injury. Als QB Anthony Calvillo is shooting for his fourth Grey Cup title and logged his second consecutive 5,000-yard passing campaign and seventh of his legendary career. Montreal is 5-0 ATS in its last five division final games, while Toronto is 0-4 ATS in its last five Eastern Final games.

Calgary at B.C. (-6.5, 51)

The Stampeders needed some late-game heroics from QB Drew Tate to sneak by the Roughriders last Sunday and earn a date with the CFL-best Lions. Drew Tate threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns, including a 68-yard strike to Romby Bryant late in the fourth quarter to put the nail in the coffin. But the victory came at a cost. Tate took several huge hits throughout the contest and it was later revealed he played with a fractured right arm. The Iowa product is done for the season, but the Stamps have a more than capable backup. Kevin Glenn, who was benched for last week's game in favor of Tate despite having played in 15 games this season, has 12 years of CFL experience and will answer the bell. Calgary is 0-4-1 ATS in its last five playoff games, but has covered in eight of its last nine trips to B.C.

The Lions are the defending Grey Cup champs and have had a week to lick their wounds and get ready for Calgary. B.C. took two of three regular season meetings from the Stamps, but Calgary came away with a 41-21 victory in the most recent clash in late October. Lions QB Travis Lulay doesn’t have a ton of playoff experience, but he’s been effective in limited action. The pivot has eight TD’s (six passing, two rushing) and 1,080 yards in his three playoff appearances. The over is 5-0 in the Lions' last five playoff games.

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Colts at Patriots: What Bettors Need to Know

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (-9.5, 54.5)

Winners of four straight, the Indianapolis Colts take a step up in competition when they visit Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a marquee matchup on Sunday. Led by rookie Andrew Luck and inspired by their coach Chuck Pagano, who is battling leukemia, the Colts have surprisingly become a legitimate playoff contender.

The Patriots continue to roll on offense. Tom Brady has thrown at least one touchdown pass in his last 41 games and New England has added a potent ground game ranked fourth in the NFL. But the Patriots continue to struggle on defense, leaving the door open for some anxious moments late in games.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS.

LINE: Patriots -9.5, O/U 54.5.

WEATHER: Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-40s under sunny skies. Wind won’t be a factor.

ABOUT THE COLTS (6-3): All four of Indianapolis’ victories in its current winning streak have come against teams who currently sport sub-.500 records. The Colts are 5-1 since Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia as his situation has galvanized the team. The players and even a cheerleader have shaved their heads in support of the coach. Luck has rushed for five scores and thrown 10 TD passes for the NFL’s fifth-ranked offense. The favorite for NFL Rookie of the Year admits to being a longtime fan of Brady and is eager for his chance in one of the league’s top rivalries. Indianapolis does have several injuries. Linebacker Dwight Freeney has been less than 100 percent for most of the season and the Colts placed CB Jerraud Powers on IR earlier in the week.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (6-3): New England has won the past two games in the series but it is going to have to straighten out things on defense. While the Patriots continue to score with ease, leading the NFL in scoring by averaging 33.2 points., the defense ranks 29th against the pass and 25th overall. Last week, lowly Buffalo scored 31 points and had the ball in the final minute looking to pull off the upset before Devin McCourty picked off a pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick in the end zone. Still, New England has won three straight overall and is in firm control of first place in the AFC East Division.

TRENDS:

* Colts are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.
* Patriots are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Colts’ last four games overall.
* Colts are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in New England.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Brady needs two TD passes to reach 20 for the 10th time in his career.

2. Pats tight end Aaron Hernandez was scratched from last week’s game and is questionable with a nagging ankle injury.

3. DB Robert Mathis is expected to play after missing the past two games for the Colts.

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Packers at Lions: What Bettors Need to Know

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (3, 52)

The Green Bay Packers entered their bye as one of the league's hottest teams and came out of it having inched closer to the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears. The Packers will look to ride the momentum as they seek their fifth consecutive win against the host Detroit Lions on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers set an absurdly high standard in piloting Green Bay to a 15-1 mark in 2011-12, but his stellar play during the winning streak has mirrored that of his MVP season. A loss could deliver a fatal blow to the postseason hopes of the Lions, who are in the cellar of the only division that features three teams at least two games over .500. The Packers have also owned Detroit, winning 12 of the last 13 meetings.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.

LINE: Packers -3, O/U 52.

ABOUT THE PACKERS (6-3): Rodgers has thrown for 15 touchdowns and one interception in the last four games despite missing his favorite two targets in the latter two. James Jones and second-year standout Randall Cobb have elevated their games in the absences of injured wideouts Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings, who combined for 24 scores last season. Jones is tied for second in the league with eight TD receptions and Cobb has five scores in the last three games. Cobb also contributed to a rushing attack that produced a season-high 176 yards in a 31-17 win over Arizona prior to the bye. Linebacker Clay Matthews, who leads the team with nine sacks, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

ABOUT THE LIONS (4-5): Detroit continued a troubling season-long trend of falling behind early and having to play catch-up in last week's 34-24 loss in Minnesota that halted a two-game winning streak. Matthew Stafford threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, but each score came after the Lions fell into a 16-3 hole early in the third quarter. Calvin Johnson, who has been bothered by a sore knee, came to life with 11 receptions for 207 yards and a touchdown but has only found the end zone twice after finishing second in the NFL with 16 TD receptions last season. A string of early deficits has contributed to the dramatic inconsistency in the running game, which managed a meager 60 yards against the Vikings after amassing 149 yards and four TDs the previous week.

TRENDS:

* Packers are 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. NFC North.
* Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Packers’ last six games overall.
* Over is 8-2-1 in Lions’ last 11 games overall.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Rodgers is the first quarterback in league history to throw 25 TD passes in the first nine games in back-to-back seasons.

2. Johnson had a career-high 244 yards and a TD on 11 catches in a 45-41 loss at Green Bay on Jan. 1, a game Rodgers sat out.

3. The Lions play five of their last seven at home but they have to face conference leaders Houston (8-1) and Atlanta (8-1) along with Chicago (7-2). They also play at Green Bay next month.

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Ford EcoBoost 400 Picks to Win

Race: Ford EcoBoost 400
Date: Sunday November 18, 2012
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Time: 2 pm ET
TV: ESPN
by Virginia Vroom, NASCAR Handicapper

If you are not a fan of NASCAR and you just happened to flip to the race this past Sunday, you may have thought that the programming had been interrupted for WWE coverage. Talk about a brawl! That was probably the best race that I have ever seen. Between the on and off-track issues between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer to the end of the race where NASCAR didn't throw a caution despite a third of the track being covered in oil, the race sure didn't disappoint. Now, if you are paying attention to the points at all, then you very well know that Jimmie Johnson lost the lead once again to Brad Keselowski. Johnson suffered a huge loss when he had a tire go down and hit the wall, putting him back to 33rd position and giving Keselowski one heck of a cushion. The only other competitor was Clint Bowyer, who happened to be 3rd in points coming into the race. There has been some bad blood in the past between Jeff Gordon and Bowyer, but rarely has there ever been an instance where Gordon decides to retaliate. Apparently, he thought that killing any shimmer of a championship hope that Bowyer had was the way to go about it by wrecking himself, Bowyer, Logano and a couple of other drivers towards the end of the race. Heavy penalties and fines ensued, but I am honestly surprised that they didn't park Gordon for Homestead.

Speaking of Miami, that is where we are headed this weekend! This is going to be one heck of a race. Despite the fact that Johnson is going to need a miracle, his only shot is to go for a win, so you better believe that he's going to pull every hat trick that he knows. Homestead-Miami is a good track for him to do that at, but he's going to have to keep his eyes on Keselowksi because these intermediate tracks are nothing to sneeze at for our points leader either. He's got a good record at these 1.5-mile tracks. Homestead is a true over, with 18-20 degree variable banking through the turns and 4 degrees on the straights. The front and backstretch both boast 1760 feet.

This track is one where track position means a lot. These guys really aren't going to have too many demons other than themselves though. Being that this is the last race of the season, every single driver on that track is going to go for the win. Whether that means pushing people out of the way, using some ridiculous pit strategy that no one's ever seen, or by risking fuel mileage remains to be seen, but I can almost guarantee that we are going to see some craziness on the track.

When we take a look at the past winners here, we can see that this is very much a Ford track, much to the Chevy-driving and Dodge-driving chagrin of Johnson and Keselowski, respectively. With the exception of Tony Stewart, the last 6 races have been won by a Ford car including drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, and Greg Biffle. Tony Stewart is your defending champion here. This weekend, I think that we are going to see a Chevy or Dodge in victory lane, though. I really think that Keselowski or Johnson is going to take the win. Neither driver has a win, but with so much at stake, these guys are definitely going to give it their everything. In my opinion, I think that we are going to see Johnson in victory lane. I do not think that he will be champion as Keselowski should still have a strong run, but Johnson's experience is going to overrun Keselowski this time. Here's the rundown of your potential winners this weekend:

Winner: Jimmie Johnson

Middle of the Road Pick: Kurt Busch

Dark Horse Pick: Marcos Ambrose

Kurt Busch has proven that he's got the skills to take a mediocre car to the front. Should he manage to stay out of trouble, then he's bound to be in contention by pure skill. Marcos Ambrose is also one to watch. He consistently gets his nose in the top 10 week in and week out, but just needs to stay there towards the end. Look for him to end the season on a strong note.

As I previously stated, I really don't think that Johnson will win the championship. I guess stranger things have happened, but he truly needs a miracle. That being said, here's a look at your current top 12 as they stand as we head into the final race of 2012:

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Greg Biffle
8. Kevin Harvick
9. Tony Stewart
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Jeff Gordon
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It is with great sadness that I bid this season farewell. I can't believe that we will have to wait over 100 days for the Daytona 500. Hang tough, NASCAR fans! I'm glad you joined us for the season, and I can't wait for another awesome year of racing in 2013!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DCI College Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

11/18/12 Predictions

Season
Straight Up: 330-100 (.767)
ATS: 121-122 (.498)
ATS Vary Units: 481-573 (.456)
Over/Under: 27-24 (.529)
Over/Under Vary Units: 46-32 (.590)

2012 CvC Classic
Subregional Round at Oakland City IN
Western Illinois 56, Yale 55

2K Sports Classic
Subregional Round at Hempstead, NY
Marshall 74, HOFSTRA 69

Subregional Round at Niagara Falls, NY
New Mexico State 83, NIAGARA 71

Barclays Center Classic
Round Robin at Morehead, KY
MOREHEAD STATE 73, Lafayette 63

Battle 4 Atlantis
Opening Round at Durham, NC
DUKE 85, Florida Gulf Coast 64

CBE Hall of Fame Classic
Subregional Round at Chattanooga, TN
Louisiana Tech 78, Troy 69
Southeast Missouri 73, CHATTANOOGA 70

Charleston Classic
at TD Arena, Charleston, SC
College of Charleston 68, Boston College 67
Baylor 77, St. John's 67
Dayton 65, AUBURN 64

Championship
Colorado vs. Murray State: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Comfort Suites Invitational
Round Robin at Richmond, KY
EASTERN KENTUCKY 71, Radford 63
Towson 68, Kennesaw State 62

Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational
at campus sites
ARIZONA STATE 74, Florida A&M 60
ARKANSAS 92, Longwood 69
CREIGHTON 80, Presbyterian 56
WISCONSIN 73, Cornell 46

EA SPORTS Maui Invitational
Regional Round at Elon, NC
Colgate 75, Coppin State 74
ELON 75, Florida Atlantic 69

Florida Global Sports Tournament
Round Robin at Orlando, FL
UCF 64, Savannah State 52

Round Robin at Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, FL
Florida 74, Middle Tennessee 61

George Gervin "Ice Man" Classic
Round Robin at Ypsilanti, MI
EASTERN MICHIGAN 66, Texas-Pan American 48
Fort Wayne 69, Eastern Illinois 64

Global Sports Classic
at campus sites
CINCINNATI 84, North Carolina A&T 48
IOWA STATE 88, Campbell 62

Joe Cipriano Nebraska Classic
Round Robin at campus sites
NEBRASKA 79, Omaha 53
TULANE 76, Chicago State 57
Valparaiso vs. KENT STATE: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff
Final Round at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
Loyola (Md.) 69, Albany 63
Norfolk State 73, Kansas City 63
Ohio State 77, Washington 68
Seton Hall 72, Rhode Island 64

Nation of Coaches Classic
Round Robin at Athens, OH
OHIO 74, Wofford 54

NUCDF Basketball Challenge
Round Robin at San Diego, CA
Cal State Northridge 83, Northern Kentucky 65
SAN DIEGO 66, Siena 62

Puerto Rico Tip-Off
at Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
Akron 66, Penn State 64
Massachusetts 74, Tennessee 73
Providence 75, UNC Asheville 73

Championship
NC State 75, Oklahoma State 65

South Padre Invitational
at campus sites
ILLINOIS STATE 82, Delaware State 59
NORTHWESTERN 86, Fairleigh Dickinson 55
TCU 79, Prairie View A&M 60
UAB 69, Navy 47

Spartan Showcase
Round Robin at campus sites
BOISE STATE 75, UL Lafayette 64
MICHIGAN STATE 79, Texas Southern 44

U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam
Championship Semifinals at UVI Sports & Fitness Center, Charlotte Amalie, USVI
Connecticut 75, Quinnipiac 62
New Mexico 71, George Mason 60

USF Tournament
Round Robin at Tampa, FL
Loyola (Chicago) 66, Umes 52
SOUTH FLORIDA 67, Western Michigan 49

World Vision Classic
Round Robin at Reno, NV
Green Bay vs. Cal State Fullerton: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
NEVADA 78, Southern Utah 63

Non-Conference
GONZAGA 92, South Dakota 62
KANSAS STATE 78, North Florida 58
LA SALLE 79, Central Connecticut State 64
LOUISVILLE 74, Miami (Ohio) 46
MINNESOTA 72, Richmond 59
MONTANA STATE 73, Portland 70
Njit 74, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 69
SAINT MARY'S 88, Eastern Washington 64
Saint Peter's 63, BINGHAMTON 55
STANFORD 77, Belmont 71
STONY BROOK 72, Sacred Heart 56
SYRACUSE 81, Wagner 54
UC DAVIS 75, Northern Arizona 65

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DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

11/18/12 Predictions

Season
Straight Up: 87-46 (.654)
ATS: 59-73 (.447)
ATS Vary Units: 220-224 (.495)
Over/Under: 72-62 (.537)
Over/Under Vary Units: 153-121 (.558)

NEW YORK 100, Indiana 91
TORONTO 93, Orlando 91
PHILADELPHIA 100, Cleveland 85
SACRAMENTO 103, Brooklyn 100
OKLAHOMA CITY 110, Golden State 96
Boston 93, DETROIT 88
Chicago 95, PORTLAND 92
L.A. LAKERS 103, Houston 97

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with USC Saturday.

Sunday it’s the Patriots. The deficit is 1423 sirignanos.

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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Free Plays are 939-695 (57 + %) over the last 4 1/2 years !

Free play Sun Over 43 Phil/Wash NFL

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Gamblers Data

Free Play Sunday

Knicks -6.5

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JOE WIZ Free Play

Portland +1 over Chicago

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Hank Glodberg (ESPN)

Chargers
Steelers
Packers
Patriots
TB Bucs

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StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets

NFL CINCINNATI at KANSAS CITY

Play Against - Road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (CINCINNATI) off an upset win by 10 points or more as an underdog, after the first month of the season
46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% 26.2 units )
2-1 this year. ( 66.7% 0.9 units )

NFL PHILADELPHIA at WASHINGTON

Play Against - Home teams vs. the money line (WASHINGTON) off an upset loss as a home favorite, in the second half of the season
89-86 since 1997. ( 50.9% 0.0 units )
1-0 this year. ( 100.0% 0.0 units )

NFL INDIANAPOLIS at NEW ENGLAND

Play Against - Underdogs of 2 to 6 points vs. the first half line (INDIANAPOLIS) after 3 or more consecutive wins against the spread, with a winning record playing another winning team in the second half of the season
67-31 since 1997. ( 68.4% 32.9 units )