12-29-12

[Can'tPickAWinner]

[Can'tPickAWinner]

TEDDY C0VERS
10* Alamo Bowl CFB
Texas

[Can'tPickAWinner]

POINTWISE PHONES:

4* Navy

3* Mich St

2* Oreg St

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Robert Ferringo
2-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 73.0 West Virginia vs. Syracuse (3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29)
2-Unit Play. Take #229 Air Force (-3) over Rice (11:45 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 29)
2-Unit Play. Take #238 Michigan State (+3) over TCU (10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29)
2-Unit Play. Take #231 Navy (+14.5) over Arizona State (4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Allen Eastmen

2-Unit Play. Take #236 Texas (+3.5) over Oregon State (6:45 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29) - Alamo Bowl
I think that Mack Brown really needs to win this game. This one is being played in San Antonio and Brown knows how important it will be to finish a disappointing year with a win in front of the home crowd. His coaching seat is starting to get warm. But Brown knows that a bowl win in Texas will make for a happy offseason. Oregon State still has questions at quarterback. They are starting Cody Vaz and I'm not sure he's 100 percent ready to take on this powerful Longhorns defense. Texas has faced some of the best offenses in the country this year in the Big 12. That is why their defensive numbers are so bad. But this team has talent and they are very motivated to prove people wrong about them. I think they get this win.
7-Unit Play. Take #231 Navy (+14.5) over Arizona State (4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29) - Fight Hunger Bowl
This is my College Football Bowl Game of the Year.

This is a very young Arizona State team. I do not think that they will be ready to play in this game. The Sun Devils coach is in his first year with the team and he is still working with someone else's players. I think it will be hard to get this team motivated. The Sun Devils went just 2-4 down the stretch and they did not finish the regular season strong at all. Navy was not strong either. They went just 0-4 ATS in the last four games. But that has forced the books to give this team more points than they should. The Middies are always strong in the underdog role and they are 5-2 ATS in their last seven bowl games. Navy has the option attack that even with extra time to prepare for is still going to be something that Arizona State is not used to defending. And these big games always mean more to the players for Navy because this is their chance to knock off a BCS school. I think this team will take this game more seriously and I think that this Navy team will be more excited to play. Arizona State is 0-4 ATS in its last four bowl games and I will take the points in this one and expect a close, back-and-forth affair.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Vegas Sports Informer

3 Unit Play. #229 Take Air Force -3 over Rice (11:45a.m., Saturday, Dec. 29 ESPN Armed Forces Bowl)
Air Force will have no problem running the ball against the 110th ranked rushing defense in the Rice Owls. Actually both teams have great rushing attacks but the Falcons defense is much better than the Rice Owls defense and this will be the huge factor in this bowl game. Air Force is 7-3 ATS against Conference USA opponents.

3 Unit Play. #234 Take Syracuse +4 over West Virginia (3:15p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29 ESPN2 Pinstripe Bowl)
Who would of thought that the QB I want to see in this game would be Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib. West Virginia QB Geno Smith started off the season red hot but both him and the Mountaineers faded quickly. The Orange defense will have their hands full in this matchup but I believe the Orange defense will step up and make the big stops. West Virginia on the other hand struggled on ?D? at times and in their 5 losses this season their defense gave up an average of 49.6ppg. Yankee Stadium should have a great Syracuse crowd and again if the Cuse defense can stop Geno Smith from making the big plays the Orange should cover this number and possible win this bowl game. Syracuse is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games and the Mountaineers only covered 5 out of their 12 games this season.

2 Unit Play. #231 Take Over 55 ½ Navy vs. Arizona St (4:00p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29 ESPN Fight Hunger Bowl)
The Sun Devils have won back-to-back games and in those 2 wins they scored over 40 points themselves. Saturday night I see the Devils scoring at will against Navy and I also see Navy scoring against Arizona St. Thought this number would be in the high 50's as the running game of Navy will score points and the passing game of ASU will also score points. Navy is 5-2 O/U in their last 7 bowl games and Arizona St is 18-8 O/U in their last 26 games.

4 Unit Play. #235 Take Oregon St -3 over Texas (6:45p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29 ESPN Alamo Bowl)
Neither team ended the season on a high note but the Beavers had key wins against UCLA, Arizona, BYU, and Arizona St. Mack Brown hasn't announced who will start at QB for the Longhorns but I believe the Beavers defense will be ready for both Texas QB's. For the Longhorns another disappointing season and another QB carousel which again Saturday we should see snaps from both David Ash and Case McCoy. Should be a hard fought game and the Beavers defense will get enough stops to pull away in the 4th quarter and the Beavers in this game by a touchdown. Texas us 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games and the Beavers are 6-2-1 ATS when playing a team with a winning record.
3 Unit Play. #238 Take Michigan St +3 over TCU (10:15p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29 ESPN Alamo Bowl)
This game screamed the under but I also like Michigan St in this game. Michigan St had a very disappointing season with bad home losses but again I see the Spartans defense stepping up Saturday night and winning this game. TCU is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 bowl games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: What bettors need to know

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Michigan State Spartans (+2.5, 40.5)

WHEN: 10:15 PM ET, Saturday, December 29, 2012
WHERE: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL STORYLINES

1. A pair of sturdy defenses and Michigan State junior running back Le'Veon Bell will take center stage when a battle of teams which finished below .500 in conference play meet in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl at Tempe, Ariz. The teams should feel more comfortable on the road as neither won a conference game at home.

2. Texas Christian and Michigan State had high hopes for 2012 after racking up 11 wins apiece last season, but things didn't quite materialize. Michigan State dropped five conference games by a combined 11 points while TCU lost starting quarterback Casey Pachall after the fourth game of the season when he left school and checked into a rehab program for substance abuse after being arrested for DWI.

3. Bell ran for 587 yards in his final three games, including a monstrous 266 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota to cap the regular season. The Spartans' formula is simple - control the ball with Bell and rely on their powerful defense which ranked fourth in the nation at 274 yards per game. TCU is no slouch on that side of the ball either as the Horned Frogs ranked 18th in the country in total defense.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: TCU opened as a 1-point favorite and was bet up to -2.5. The total opened at 41.5 and has come down to 40.5.

CONSENSUS: 61 percent of Covers Consensus picks are on TCU while 56 percent are on the over.

WEATHER: The forecast in Tempe is calling for cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 40s. Winds are expected to blow ESE at 2 mph.

TRENDS:

* Horned Frogs are 0-4 ATS in their last four Bowl games.
* Spartans are 1-5 ATS in their last six vs. Big 12.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Horned Frogs' last seven bowl games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Spartans' last four non-conference games.

ABOUT TCU (7-5, 4-5 Big 12, 5-7 ATS): The Horned Frogs wound up 10th in the conference in total offense and lost three of their next four games after Pachall left the team. That put the burden of running the offense on the shoulders of freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin. Pachall was 15-2 in his career and threw 25 touchdown passes last season, giving TCU plenty of hope for 2012. When he was gone, the Horned Frogs had to throw Boykin into the fire and he threw three interceptions in his first start. Boykin rebounded with a fabulous four-touchdown game against Baylor, but then battled with his consistency the rest of the season. The Horned Frogs had a signature 20-13 victory at Texas late in the season in a game when Boykin threw only nine passes.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (6-6, 3-5 Big Ten, 4-8 ATS): The Spartans defeated Georgia 33-30 in the Outback Bowl last season, but exceeded that point total only once in 2012. Michigan State ranked ninth in total offense in the Big Ten. Bell, however, seemed to get stronger as the year went along and finished with 1,638 yards on the ground, good for sixth in the nation. Andrew Maxwell completed only 53 percent of his passes this year as the receiving unit was labeled as one of the most unreliable corps in the nation. With top wideout Keshawn Martin now playing for the Houston Texans, the Spartans dropped passes at an alarming rate. Michigan State flashed its enormous potential with wins over Boise State and at Wisconsin, which is headed to the Rose Bowl, but it needed a win in its season-finale to even become bowl eligible. Tight end Dion Sims, who went over 100 yards receiving twice this season, will play after recovering from an ankle injury.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: What bettors need to know

Navy Midshipmen vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (-14, 56)

WHEN: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 29, 2012
WHERE: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California

KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL STORYLINES

1. Navy and Arizona State head to San Francisco for their first meeting on a high note, having knocked off archrivals in their respective regular-season finales. The Midshipmen took care of Army for the 11th straight time while the Sun Devils defeated fellow bowl-bound Arizona in Tucson.

2. As usual, Navy showcases a formidable ground game. It produced 275.6 rushing yards per game, sixth in the country. Arizona State also faced the third-ranked rushing unit in Oregon. Although the style and talent level between the Midshipmen and Ducks are not the same, it is worth noting that the Sun Devils gave up 406 yards on the ground against Oregon.

3. Junior Marion Grice was a potent force in the running and passing game for the Sun Devils, posting remarkably similar numbers in both realms. Grice had 520 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground while gaining 406 yards and eight TDs through the air. His 17 scores leave him one shy of moving into the top five on Arizona State's all-time single-season touchdown list.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2.

LINE: Arizona State opened at -14.5 and has since come down to -14. The total has moved from 56 to 54.5.

CONSENSUS: 55 percent of Covers Consensus picks are on ASU while 58 percent is on the over.

WEATHER: The forecast in San Francisco is calling for a 41 percent chance of rain and temperatures in the high 40s. Winds are expected to blow NW at 6 mph.

TRENDS:

* Midshipmen are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Bowl games.
* Sun Devils are 0-4 ATS in their last four bowl games.
* Over is 5-2 in Midshipmen's last seven Bowl games.
* Under is 11-5 in Sun Devils' last 16 non-conference games.

ABOUT NAVY (8-4, 4-8 ATS): The vaunted rushing attack sputtered early as the Midshipmen began the year 1-3. However, things turned around once freshman Keenan Reynolds took over under center for the injured Trey Miller. Reynolds threw for three touchdowns in his first start Oct. 12 at Central Michigan. He finished the regular season with 628 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns while passing for 884 yards and eight TDs. From the time Reynolds took over late in an overtime affair against Air Force, Navy went 7-1. The Midshipmen made eight straight bowl game appearances before falling short in 2011. They have lost four of their last five bowl games.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12, 7-5 ATS): It was a bit of a roller coaster ride for the Sun Devils in coach Todd Graham's first season. After opening 5-1, they lost four straight to the best the Pac-12 has to offer, only to rebound with consecutive wins to finish it out, including a wild 41-34 victory over the Wildcats. Arizona State scored 24 straight points in the fourth quarter of that one. It was actually the only game all season in which sophomore Taylor Kelly failed to throw for a touchdown. Kelly ranked third in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency this season, helping the Sun Devils score 36.4 points, also third-best in the league. Defensive tackle Will Sutton was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and will be instrumental if Arizona State is going to slow down Navy's option attack.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pinstripe Bowl: What bettors need to know

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange (+3.5, 73.5)

WHEN: 3:15 PM ET, Saturday, December 29, 2012
WHERE: New Yankee Stadium, New York, New York

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL STORYLINES

1. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith has 96 career touchdown passes, 40 this season, but has only three scoring strikes while throwing five interceptions and being sacked nine times in losses to Syracuse in 2010 and 2011.

2. Syracuse has averaged 38.5 points in winning five of its last six games and the Mountaineers are giving up 38.1 overall –114th out of 120 FBS teams. Syracuse scored 49 points against West Virginia in 2011 and leads the series 32-27.

3. West Virginia makes its 11th straight bowl appearance, tied for the nation’s eighth-longest streak, and is 14-17 overall. Syracuse is 13-9-1 in bowls, including a 36-34 victory over Kansas State in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in 2010.

TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: West Virginia opened as a 4-point favorite and has been bet down to -3.5. The total has stayed remotely steady at 73.5.

CONSENSUS: 66 percent of Covers Consensus is on WVU while 62 percent is on the over.

WEATHER: The forecast for Yankee Stadium is calling for an 88 percent chance of snow with temperatures in the low 30s. Winds are expected to NNE at 6 mph.

TRENDS:

* Mountaineers are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings in Syracuse. The Orange are the home team in this Bronx bowl game.
* Underdog is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings.
* Road team is 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (7-5, 4-5 Big 12, 5-7 ATS): Smith put up some amazing numbers this season, completing 71.4 percent of his passes and throwing for 4,004 yards with only six interceptions. However, the Mountaineers allowed an average of almost 50 points during a five-game losing streak to derail their season. West Virginia rebounded to win their last two and two of the nation’s top receivers, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, will be looking to put on a show against the Orange. Bailey has caught 106 passes for 1,501 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. Austin has 110 receptions for 1,259 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 598. Andrew Buie leads the ground attack with 817 yards. West Virginia gave up only 34 points combined in the last two games.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (7-5, 5-2 Big East, 6-5-1 ATS): The Orange turned it on down the stretch, including a big comeback at South Florida and wins over Louisville and Missouri. Syracuse, which finished tied for first in the Big East this season after tying for last in 2011, averaged only 13 points in three games before beating Connecticut 40-10 to start its run. Quarterback Ryan Nassib has 13 touchdown passes and one interception over the last six games after 11 and eight, respectively, the first six. Nassib’s top target is Alec Lemon, who caught 70 passes for 1,063 yards. Marcus Sales has also caught 63 passes for 863 yards. Jerome Smith has 1,019 yards rushing overall and an average of 110.7 the last six. Syracuse has allowed an average of 28.8 points the last five games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Armed Forces Bowl: What bettors need to know

Rice Owls vs. Air Force Falcons (-3, 61.5)

WHEN: 11:45 AM ET, Saturday, December 29, 2012
WHERE: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL STORYLINES

1. Rice and Air Force enter the contest with mediocre records, but they took differing routes to get there. The Owls won four in a row and five of their last six contests to secure a berth in their first bowl game since 2008. Playing the final 10 weeks without a break, the exhausted Falcons were outscored 124-66 en route to losing three of their last four to limp toward the end of the season.

2. Ironically, Air Force attacks on the ground with its one-dimension offense. Led by diminutive senior Cody Getz (1,219 yards, nine touchdowns), coach Troy Calhoun's triple-option offense averages 328.8 rushing yards - a gaudy number which ranks second-best in the nation. Considering that Rice yields nearly 193 rushing yards per game, the Owls could be in for a long day.

3. Rice's offense features a more balanced game plan as junior quarterback Taylor McHargue has both thrown and rushed for 11 touchdowns this season. Charles Ross is averaging a team-best 5.7 yards per carry and 743 yards total. The Owls amassed 381 points and 5,053 yards of total offense - with both numbers ranking behind only the 2008 club in program history.

TV: 11:45 a.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Air Force opened as low as +1 and has since been bet up to -3. The total has moved from as low as 60.5 to 62 points.

CONSENSUS: 65 percent of Covers Consensus picks are on Air Force while 53 percent are on the over.

WEATHER: The forecast in Forth Worth is calling for clear skies and temperatures in the low 40s. Winds are expected to blow NNW at 6 mph.

TRENDS:

* Owls are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Falcons are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 vs. CUSA.
* Under is 7-3 in Owls' last 10 non-conference games.
* Under is 6-2 in Falcons' last eight games overall.

ABOUT RICE (6-6, 4-4 Conference USA, 7-4-1 ATS): Cody Bauer, among others, will be charged with deciphering the triple-option offense. Bauer leads the Owls in tackles for loss and is tied with fellow defensive end Jared Williams for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. Offensively, Jordan Taylor (48 receptions, 673 yards) and Sam McGuffie (49, 523) have proven consistent for McHargue. In addition, first team All-Conference USA selection Vance McDonald has come on strong since returning from a toe injury. Rice will be playing in its third bowl game since a postseason drought from 1961-2006. The Owls won their last bowl appearance in 2008 by taking the Texas Bowl.

ABOUT AIR FORCE (6-6, 5-3 Mountain West, 3-9 ATS): While the rushing attack secures the headlines, Ty MacArthur is traditionally the one responsible when Air Force takes to the air. The junior wideout has a team-high 411 receiving yards and two scores - although he has matched the touchdown total and surpassed the yardage (419) on the ground. Air Force has won five of the last six meetings between the former WAC members, although the last encounter took place in 1998. The Falcons, who will be playing in their school-record sixth consecutive bowl game, have plenty of experience playing in the Armed Forces Bowl. After dropping its first two appearances, Air Force posted a 47-20 triumph over Houston in the recent meeting in 2009.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Study group: Saturday's Top 25 NCAAB betting notes

Saturday has a full board of betting choices for college basketball fans. Check out our quick-hitting notes on all the Top 25 action:

Western Michigan Broncos at North Carolina State Wolfpack (-19, 144)

Coach Mark Gottfried has No. 25 North Carolina State clicking and his team will try to extend its win streak to six games – matching the longest in his tenure – when the Wolfpack host Western Michigan on Saturday. NC State began the season as the highest-ranked team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but losses to Oklahoma State in Puerto Rico and a road setback against No.2 Michigan threatened its top-25 status. The Wolfpack have since run off five straight wins, including victories over Connecticut and Stanford, scoring at least 80 points in each of the last four. They will attempt to move to 7-0 at home this season against the Broncos, who have dropped three of their last five despite a 87-66 victory over Mount St. Mary’s last Saturday.

Santa Clara Broncos at Duke Blue Devils (-20, 147)

It has been a month since top-ranked Duke faced a serious challenge. Santa Clara hopes to end that trend Saturday when it puts a six-game win streak on the line against the unbeaten Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After a pair of five-point wins over powerhouses Louisville and Ohio State at the end of November, Duke has won four December games by an average of 31 points. The closest of those contests came the last time out, a 76-54 win over Elon on Dec. 20. That was the Blue Devils' 100th consecutive non-conference win at home. It also left them 11-0 for the ninth time under coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Broncos are coming off a 69-45 win over Wagner in the title game of the Cable Car Classic last Saturday.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels at North Carolina Tar Heels (-4.5, 160)

No. 17 UNLV, which has won nine straight games since losing at home to Oregon, 83-79, on Nov. 23, makes its first trip to the Dean Smith Center to face North Carolina, which has won four of its last five games. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 3-1 but the Runnin' Rebels won the last meeting last year at the Orleans Arena in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational, 90-80. That was UNLV's first win over the nation's top-ranked team in 22 years and the first time a Mountain West school ever defeated a team ranked No. 1 in both polls. The previous four meetings between these teams were played on neutral courts, including North Carolina's 84-83 win over the Rebels in the 1977 Final Four in Atlanta.

Auburn Tigers at Illinois Fighting Illini (-12, 131)

No. 15 Illinois tries to rebound from its first loss when it plays Auburn at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday. First-year coach John Groce’s Fighting Illini fell 82-73 to Missouri in the “Braggin’ Rights” game in St. Louis last Saturday despite Brandon Paul’s 23 points. Illinois still leads the nation in 3-pointers per game (9.8) and shoots 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Tigers are coming off a 74-67 home loss to Winthrop last Saturday that snapped a three-game win streak. Auburn hit 3-of-23 from deep in the loss.

Kentucky Wildcats at Louisville Cardinals (-8, 135)

No. 23 Kentucky looks to make it five straight wins over archrival and No. 3 Louisville when the Wildcats visit the Cardinals on Saturday. The in-state foes met in last season’s Final Four, Kentucky winning 69-61 en route to the national championship. Louisville appears to be the stronger squad this season. The Cardinals have won six straight by an average of 25.5 points, their only loss this season coming by five points to top-ranked Duke. Kentucky, which has posted four straight blowout wins after consecutive losses to Notre Dame and Baylor, leads the all-time series with Louisville 30-14.

Air Force Falcons at Florida Gators (-19, 131)

After falling short in its last two trips outside the Sunshine State, one can understand why Florida is relishing some home cookin'. Although its last loss was technically a "neutral site" game, the 11th-ranked Gators will look to remain undefeated at home when they host Air Force on Saturday as part of the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic. Florida suffered a 67-61 setback to Kansas State last Saturday after shooting a dismal 5-for-19 from 3-point range - including a combined 2-for-12 effort from guards Mike Rosario, Kenny Boynton and Scottie Wilbekin. The Gators will look for a better showing when they face the Falcons, who posted their second straight victory with a 61-53 triumph over UC Riverside last Saturday.

Chicago State Cougars at Ohio State Buckeyes (-37, 141)

Ohio State will try to rebound from its second loss this season when the No. 10 Buckeyes host Chicago State on Saturday afternoon. Ohio State lost to No. 6 Kansas last weekend, 74-66, shooting 31 percent from the floor. The Buckeyes will likely continue to lean on 6-7 junior forward Deshaun Thomas, the Big Ten scoring leader at 20 points. He’s been the model of consistency, scoring at least 14 in every game, making a least two 3-pointers in all but one and shooting 85.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Cougars don’t have a go-to player on offense. Just one averages double figures in scoring and none have scored more than 20 points in a game this season. Jeremy Robinson leads Chicago State at 10.4 points, followed by Clarke Rosenberg (9.6), Matt Ross (9.4) and Quinton Pippen (9.1). Three others average between 7.2 and 7.9 points.

Central Michigan Chippewas at Michigan Wolverines (-29, 137)

After a nine-day break, second-ranked Michigan will return to action Saturday night against visiting Central Michigan in hopes of extending the second-best start in school history. At 12-0, the Wolverines are off to their best start since a school-record 16-0 beginning to the 1985-86 season, which also marked the last time the Wolverines went undefeated in non-conference play - something they can achieve with a win over the Chippewas. Central Michigan split a pair of games in the Sun Bowl Invitational last week in El Paso, falling to Nebraska (89-75) and beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff (62-45). The Wolverines have won 20 of 23 all-time meetings, though they later vacated one victory because of NCAA sanctions. Central Michigan won the most recent contest, 78-67 in Ann Arbor on Dec. 15, 2007.

Alcorn State Braves at Syracuse Orange (N/A)

A number of streaks – both impressive and embarrassing – figure to get extended on Saturday when No. 7 Syracuse hosts Alcorn State as part of the Gotham Classic. The Orange suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday against Temple at Madison Square Garden due in large part to poor foul shooting. However, Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome for this contest, where it has won a school-record 31 straight overall and 41 in a row over non-conference opponents. Those two streaks – the former of which is the longest active streak in the country – should increase against the Braves, who have dropped 81 consecutive non-conference road games. Alcorn State, which has dropped eight straight by an average of 16.6 points, suffered its latest humiliating road loss in an 87-74 setback at Canisius on Thursday.

Butler Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores (+4.5, 124)

No. 21 Butler, which followed its upset of then-No. 1 Indiana with a solid win over Evansville, goes for its seventh straight victory when it visits Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Bulldogs handled the Purple Aces 75-67 last Saturday behind 20 points each from senior center Andrew Smith and senior guard Rotnei Clarke. The rebuilding Commodores are coming off a 56-52 neutral-site loss to Middle Tennessee State in which they were outrebounded 34-25. Vandy ranks 305th nationally in scoring (60.3).

American U. Eagles at Kansas Jayhawks (N/A)

No. 6 Kansas returns to action for the first time since an impressive 74-66 road victory at then-No. 7 Ohio State on Dec. 22. The Jayhawks have won 28 straight games in Allen Fieldhouse, the second-longest winning streak in the nation behind Syracuse's 29 in a row. Kansas and American are playing for just the second time in men's basketball with the other matchup coming during the Jayhawks' 1988 NCAA National Championship season. The Jayhawks cruised to a 90-69 victory in that one at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks have shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of their last five games and lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage (49.3).

Evansville Purple Aces at Creighton Bluejays (-15, 143)

Creighton opens its quest for its first Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title since 2008-09 when it hosts Evansville on Saturday. The Bluejays were the overwhelming favorites to capture the crown in the league's preseason poll, but now the team has to prove it on the court. Creighton comes into the game on a five-game winning streak, including a 17-point home win over Tulsa on Dec. 19 in its last game. The Purple Aces dropped their last game, but it was an eight-point defeat at Butler in which Evansville played well. The play in the early going of this one could be a little ragged, with both teams excited to start conference play and having gone at least seven days between contests.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Team Doc Sports

7 Unit Play. #238 Take Michigan State Spartans +3 over TCU Horned Frogs
(Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 12/29, 10:15 pm ESPN)
Bowl Game of the Year.
The Spartans have battled valiantly all season long, losing five games by 4 points or less, and I fully expect them to get over the hump in this game and close out the season with a victory in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The Spartans have a rock-solid defense that is 10th in the country in points allowed, and I expect them to control the Horned Frogs offense that is not as strong as it has been in year's past. I have not been a fan of the Big 12 this year. To me the conference is no better than the Big Ten, but the Big Ten took most of the criticism from the media as being terrible. The Big 12 does not have many strong defensive-minded teams and is just a pass-happy league. Therefore, they will be in for a shock tonight facing this Michigan State defense led by William Gholston. He has 12 tackles for loss this season and has broken up 9 passes. The problem with Michigan State all season long has been their offense, but they do have an outstanding back in Le' Veon Bell to take some of the pressure off of quarterback Andrew Maxwell. TCU is a very young team, as is evidenced by the fact they have played 16 true freshman and only 11 seniors. I do not expect them to be ready to play this bowl game, and, thus, Michigan State will be able to jump on them early and then rely on their hard-nosed defense. TCU is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. Michigan State is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS victory in their previous game. The Big Ten flexes its muscles and we collect with the underdog as well!

Michigan State by 8

4 Unit Play. #236 Take Texas Longhorns +3.5 over Oregon State Beavers (Alamo Bowl, 12/29, 6:45 pm ESPN)The Longhorns had yet another disappointing season under Coach Mack Brown, and this is an important game for this program in order to set the tone for a strong performance in 2013. Oregon State had a great resurrection in 2012, going 9-3, a 6-game improvement from last season. Both teams have quarterback issues, and, thus, expect the team that makes the least amount of mistakes to win this game. Texas has a major edge playing this bowl game in their home state, and I truly believe that top to bottom the Big-12 was stronger than the PAC-12. Texas is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against PAC-12 teams. Oregon State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game. This will likely be a close, low-scoring game, but we will side with the under, as we feel they win this game straight-up.

Texas by 6

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Jason Sharpe

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

3 Unit Play Take #234 Syracuse +3.5 over West Virginia (3:15pm est):
There is probably no team more inconsistent in college football than West Virginia. The Mountaineers can go from looking good to bad very quickly. They showed a big effort over Texas but keep in mind that the Longhorns came into that game off a big win and also in a letdown spot with Oklahoma on deck the following week. For the most part WVU lost every big game that they played this season outside of that one against the Longhorns. They did beat Baylor this season but that was by just a touchdown and they were 11.5 point favorites in that game.

Lots of things stack up well here for Syracuse in this one as first off playing outdoors here probably fits more to what they do than what WVU wants to do in this contest. This game traditionally draws very well and with Syracuse being so close to Yankee stadium, they are expecting a big turnout fan wise for this contest. Syracuse was greatly improved down the stretch of the season and they even have two straight up wins as underdogs in their last three weeks of the year.

Keep in mind these two schools were conference rivals before this season and Syracuse has beaten WVU their last two times they have played. The Orange will not be the intimidated at all going into this game and they probably feel they should be the favorite here in this one. In fact those are my thoughts also as WVU has shown no reason at all that they should be laying points in this game when you look at their season long resume. Take Syracuse and the points here.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

From Platinum Plays.

500K Bowl Shocker

the Air Force Falcons -2 over
the Rice Owls

Best Bets




the Navy Midshipmen +14 over
the Arizona St Sun Devils

the Air Force/Rice Game UNDER
the Total Of 62 Points

the Navy/Arizona St Game OVER
the Total Of 53 Points

the West Virginia/Syracuse Game OVER
the Total Of 72 Points

500K Bowl Parlay
the Oregon St Beavers -3½ over
the Texas Longhorns

the TCU Horned Frogs -2 over
the Michigan St Spartans


Best Bets


the TCU/Michigan St Game OVER
the Total Of 40 Points

the Brooklyn Nets -8½ over
the Cleveland Cavaliers

the Miami Heat -4 over
the Milwaukee Bucks




PLATINUM PLAYS PREMIER PICK

the West Virginia Mountaineers -3½ over
the Syracuse Ornagemen

the Oregon St/Texas Game UNDER
the Total Of 57½ Points

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Totals 4 You Regular Service Selections for Saturday, December 29th

2012 Armed Forces Bowl Super Total of the Year!!!!!
Air Force/Rice under 62

2012 Pinstripe Bowl Super Total of the Year!!!!!
West Virginia/Syracuse over 72

2012 Fight Hunger Bowl Super Total of the Year!!!!!
Navy/Arizona State over 53 1/2

2012 Alamo Bowl Super Total of the Year!!!!!
Oregon State/Texas over 57 1/2

2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Super Total of the Year!!!!!
Texas Christian/Michigan State under 40 1/2