10-5-13

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Arizona State vs. Notre Dame: What bettors need to know

Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+6, 62)

Arizona State looks to become the first team to defeat USC and Notre Dame in consecutive weeks on Saturday when the 24th-ranked Sun Devils face the Fighting Irish at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Notre Dame likely needs to win its remaining seven contests to reach a BCS bowl, while Arizona State hopes to build on its impressive 62-41 win over the Trojans last Saturday. The Sun Devils generated 612 yards of offense against USC, and they’ll seek to continue that pace against a Notre Dame defense that struggled in losses to Michigan and Oklahoma.

The Sun Devils’ balanced attack is led by senior running back Marion Grice, who leads the FBS in scoring this season with 12 touchdowns and has scored 31 in 17 games. “He’s just phenomenal,” Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. “He has this way of eluding people very smoothly to get to the end zone. He’s a unique back.” In order to keep the Sun Devils’ offense off the field, the Fighting Irish need strong performances from running backs Amir Carlisle, Cam McDaniel and George Atkinson III, who is averaging more than seven yards per carry.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC.

WEATHER: N/A

LINE: Arizona State opened -6.5 and has been bet down as low as -5.5. The total opened 62 and has remained steady.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (3-1, 2-2 ATS): Junior quarterback Taylor Kelly has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of the Sun Devils’ first four games, and junior college transfer Jaelen Strong has made an immediate impact with 433 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Safety Alden Darby had two interceptions and seven tackles against USC, but the Sun Devils’ run defense ranks 11th in the Pac-12. All-American defensive lineman Will Sutton, who had 13 sacks last season, is off to a slow start while dealing with constant double-teams.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (3-2, 0-4-1 ATS): The Fighting Irish defense hasn’t been as impressive as last season, but linemen Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix remain among the best in the country. Linebacker Jarrett Grace has a team-high 37 tackles for Notre Dame, which could struggle to slow down an Arizona State team averaging 44.3 points per game. The Fighting Irish need a bounce-back effort from quarterback Tommy Rees, who threw two interceptions on his first three passes last week in a 35-21 loss to Oklahoma.

TRENDS:

* Sun Devils are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Fighting Irish are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Sun Devils' last four neutral site games.
* Under is 19-7 in Fighting Irish's last 26 vs. Pac-12.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Notre Dame is 12-0 under coach Brian Kelly when it does not commit a turnover.

2. Arizona State is 10-0 under Graham when leading at halftime.

3. Notre Dame has won nine of its last 10 regular-season games at an NFL stadium since 1995.

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Ohio State at Northwestern: What bettors need to know

Ohio State Buckeyes at Northwestern Wildcats (+7, 61)

No. 3 Ohio State attempts to remain undefeated under second-year coach Urban Meyer and stretch the nation’s longest winning streak to 18 games when it visits No. 15 Northwestern on Saturday night. The Buckeyes have won 28 of the past 29 meetings with the Wildcats, but a rising Northwestern program is a bona fide threat to upset Ohio State. The Wildcats are attempting to start 5-0 for the second straight season and fourth time in six years.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is well aware of what’s at stake against the powerful Buckeyes. “When you play a team that’s ranked in the Top 5 that’s playing as well as they are, it’s an incredibly difficult challenge for us,” Fitzgerald said. Ohio State is coming off a 31-24 victory over Wisconsin that featured the return of star quarterback Braxton Miller from a knee injury. The Buckeyes suffered a huge blow against the Badgers by losing standout safety Christian Bryant to a season-ending broken ankle.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC.

LINE: Ohio State opened -5.5 and moved to -7. Total opened 59 and moved to 61.

WEATHER: Temperatures in high 60s with 74 percent chance of thunder showers, winds SSW at 12 mph.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten Leaders, 3-1-1 ATS): Miller was solid in his return from a Sept. 7 injury by passing for 198 yards and four touchdowns while adding 83 rushing yards against Wisconsin. The offense is averaging 48.2 points per game despite the period without Miller and senior Corey “Philly” Brown (24 receptions, 254 yards) and junior Devin Smith (20 for 331) each have five touchdown receptions, while senior Jordan Hall has rushed for 427 yards and eight scores. Junior outside linebacker Ryan Shazier has a team-leading 37 tackles – including a Big Ten-leading seven tackles for loss – and junior cornerback Bradley Roby has two of the Buckeyes’ six interceptions.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten Legends, 2-2 ATS): The Wildcats expect senior Venric Mark (1,366 yards in 2012) to return from a three-game absence due to a leg injury to team with junior Treyvon Green, who has averaged seven yards per carry while rushing for 404 yards and five touchdowns. The two-quarterback system of senior Kain Colter (237 rushing yards, 77.1 percent completion percentage) and junior Trevor Siemian (67.1 completion percentage for 671 yards and four touchdowns) is clicking as the Wildcats are averaging 41.3 per game. Northwestern has intercepted 10 passes – four returned for touchdowns – with junior safety Ibraheim Campbell having a team-leading three picks and junior outside linebacker Collin Ellis and sophomore defensive end Dean Lowry each having two.

TRENDS:

* Buckeyes are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.
* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Home team is 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Ohio State leads the series 59-14-1 and has won the last four meetings. Northwestern’s last victory over the Buckeyes was in 2004.

2. Northwestern has 19 interceptions over its last seven games.

3. The Buckeyes have been dominant in the first quarter, outscoring opponents 116-21.

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CFL Saturday: What bettors need to know

Montreal Alouettes at Edmonton Eskimos (-3, 50.5)

The Montreal Alouettes may be struggling to replace key injuries on offense, but their defense is keeping them competitive. Montreal will hope for another strong defensive showing when it visits the struggling Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday. Alouettes linebacker Chip Cox ended last week’s 17-12 road victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders with an interception - one of three by Montreal, which looks fearsome at the linebacker position after welcoming Kyries “Angry Bird” Hebert back from injury.

Edmonton experienced the highs and lows of a big comeback after being on both sides of one over the past two weeks. The Eskimos stormed back from a 20-point deficit on the road against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, only to squander their own 21-point lead at home against the Toronto Argonauts last week. The biggest concern in Edmonton’s loss to the Argonauts was the health of starting quarterback Mike Reilly, who left in the first quarter with what was deemed a concussion and is uncertain to start going forward.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (5-8): Quarterback Josh Neiswander appears to be the de facto starter for Montreal with Anthony Calvillo and Tanner Marsh sidelined. However, Neiswander’s mediocre play (74-for-128 passing with five touchdowns and five interceptions) has left the door open for former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who completed his first pass with the Alouettes for 54 yards last week. Defensive end John Bowman leads the team with eight sacks, and the return of Hebert - who has seven sacks - could create some healthy competition for Montreal’s pass rush.

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (3-10): Veteran pivot Kerry Joseph replaced Reilly last week and completed 13-of-26 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. Losing Reilly could neutralize Edmonton’s best offensive weapon in slotback Fred Stamps, who leads the league with 1,038 receiving yards. Reilly also leads the team in rushing with 539 yards. On defense, nine sacks by defensive end Marcus Howard lead the team, while defensive back Chris Thompson has caught a team-leading three interceptions and recovered one fumble for 63 yards.

TRENDS:

* Alouettes are 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings.
* Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Edmonton.
* Alouettes are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Over is 19-7-2 in Eskimos last 28 games overall.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Cox leads the league with 91 tackles and has six sacks and three interceptions.

2. The CFL fined Toronto DL Cleyon Laing an undisclosed amount for the hit that knocked Reilly out of last week’s contest.

3. Edmonton trails Montreal by four points for the final playoff spot.


Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Calgary Stampeders (-16, 54)

The Calgary Stampeders have the best record in the CFL after battling through injuries to go 4-1 in September. Calgary will try to keep its momentum going when it hosts the struggling Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday. Veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn started the last game for the Stampeders and threw three touchdowns in a dominating 35-11 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while quarterback Drew Tate recorded a rushing touchdown as he continues to rehabilitate from an elbow injury.

A deflated Winnipeg team was manhandled 53-17 at home by the BC Lions last week after the Blue Bombers blew a 20-point lead at home against the Edmonton Eskimos a week prior. A road trip might seem like just the right thing for Winnipeg, but its road record is 1-5 - almost as bad as its 1-6 showing at home. Quarterback Max Hall started the last game for the Blue Bombers, who have alternated between Hall and Justin Goltz as they search for a solution to their league-worst offense, which has produced 268 points.

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (2-11): Hall will start Saturday, but will need a strong performance to avoid being replaced by Goltz. Defensive end Alex Hall leads the league with 15 sacks after posting nine in his first CFL season. The league record for sacks in a season is 26.5, meaning Hall will need another 12 in his final five games to break it. Linebacker Henoc Muamba leads the team with 76 tackles.

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (10-3): Kicker Rene Paredes and running back Jon Cornish were named players of the month for September. Paredes earned special teams honours after making 12-of-13 field goals from Weeks 11-14, while Cornish was named top Canadian player after rushing for 398 yards in that span. Slotback Jabari Arthur has filled in admirably for the injured Nik Lewis, with four catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns last week against Hamilton.

TRENDS:

* Blue Bombers are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 meetings in Calgary.
* Over is 9-1 in Stampeders last 10 home games.
* Blue Bombers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Stampeders are 5-12-2 ATS in their last 19 games following a ATS win.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Calgary is 5-1 at home while Winnipeg is 1-6 against West Division opponents.

2. Winnipeg worst recent seasons were a 4-14 campaign in 2010 and a 3-15 mark in 1998.

3. The Stampeders defeated the Blue Bombers 37-24 in Winnipeg in Week 5.

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Playersbet
Week 6 CFB

5 units: Take Stanford (-7) over Washington Take (10:30 EST)


3 units: Take Over 52 Washington at Stanford (10:30 EST)



3 units: Take Iowa Hawkeyes +1 over Michigan State Spartans (12:00 EST)



3 units: Take Clemson (-13.5) over Syracuse (3:30 EST)



3 units: Take Mississippi (-2.5) over Auburn (7:00 EST)



3 units: Take Cincinnati Bearcats -11 over the South Florida Bulls (7:00 EST)

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al demarco

5 dime oklahoma

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SB Professor NCAAF Picks - 10/5

NCAAF 3.0:

3:30 PM
353. Rice +3.5

7:30
405. Louisiana Tech -2

Rest of Games
362. Oklahoma St. -13.5
390. Southern Miss -17

NCAAF Original:


11:30 AM
313. Air Force +13

3:30 PM
348. Tennessee +10.5

7 PM
360. South Florida +12

10:30 PM
381. Washington +8

Rest of Games
339. Illinois +8.5
410. Indiana +3
355. North Carolina +7.5
325. Army +11.5
328. Miami Ohio +3
398. Middle Tennessee St. +7.5
384. Kent +9
338. Wake Forest +7.5
344. Tulane +3
380. California +1.5
368. Memphis +9.5
352. Mississippi St. +9.5
357. TCU +9.5
373. Texas St. +11.5
377. New Mexico St. +11.5
386. Auburn +3
402. Notre Dame +6
406. UTEP +2
408. Northwestern +7

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Arthur Ralphs

5 Monster plays Ill +9, MO pk, Baylor -27, Vig Tech -7, Oklahoma -8 1/2

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Marc Lawrence Correction to earlier post

4* northwestern FALSE FAV GOM
3* mizzou
3* miss st

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Steve Fezzik

392 Bowling Green -26.0 (-110) Bookmaker.com vs 391 Massachusetts.

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The Saturday Edge
SabertStxVii (61% on the year so far. He is the best of the Saturday Edge cappers)

1.5* Units, Syracuse +14 vs Clemson2* Units, East Carolina -7.5 vs Middle Tennessee.95* Units, Missouri ML +105 vs Vanderbilt1* Unit, Cal +1.5 vs Washington State1.5* Units, Illinois vs Nebraska OV 601* Unit, Baylor -28 vs WVU1.5* Units, Miami -5.5 vs Georgia Tech

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Betting Line Moves

SMU +4

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Bryan rosica
100 dime clemson

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Jeff benton
75 dime ball st

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Trace adams
1500 memphis

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Steve budin
150 dime baylor bears