10-19-13

[Can'tPickAWinner]

UCLA at Stanford: What bettors need to know

UCLA Bruins at Stanford Cardinal (-4.5, 53)

Unbeaten UCLA, ranked 10th nationally, has a chance to get itself into the national championship picture over the next two Saturdays but the visiting Bruins first must defeat No. 13 Stanford on Saturday. The Cardinal are in a must-win situation themselves after falling to Utah last week and can’t afford to drop two games in the loss column behind Oregon in the Pac-12 North. UCLA leads the Pac-12 South and visits the Ducks on Oct. 26.

Stanford defeated UCLA twice last season in a seven-day span – winning 35-17 at the Rose Bowl in the regular season before posting a 27-24 home win in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Bruins are off to their first 5-0 start since winning the first eight games of the 2005 season. Cardinal coach David Shaw doesn't want the Utah loss – one that snapped the program’s 13-game winning streak – to be viewed as a season-changing defeat. “We’re still in a battle for our [division] to try to get to the conference championship game,” Shaw said.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2.

LINE: Stanford opened as a 6.5-point fave and is now -4.5. The total opened at 54 and is down to 53.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with clear skies over Stanford Stadium.

ABOUT UCLA (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12): Sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley is thriving with 1,469 yards and 12 touchdowns and his 410-yard effort in last week’s victory over California was the third-highest output in school history behind Cade McNown (513 in 1998) and Drew Olson (510 in 2005). Running back Jordon James (463 yards, five touchdowns) is averaging 6.3 yards per carry for an offense averaging 45.8 points and 547 yards per game. The Bruins are allowing 18.2 points per game with outside linebacker Anthony Barr racking up 10 tackles for loss (including four sacks) and forcing three fumbles while defensive end Keenan Graham has recorded a team-high five sacks.

ABOUT STANFORD (5-1, 3-1 Pac-12): The loss to Utah marked the initial defeat in 11 career starts for quarterback Kevin Hogan, who has passed for 1,178 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Tyler Gaffney (570 yards, seven touchdowns) has proven that giving up minor-league baseball to return to football was a good move, and Ty Montgomery (31 receptions, 514 yards) continues to be a force as both a receiver and returner – leading the nation with a 37.3 kickoff-return average. Defensive leader Shane Skov – an inside linebacker – has six tackles for loss among his team-high 52 stops and outside linebacker Trent Murphy leads the team with eight tackles for loss and five sacks.

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Bruins are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Over is 9-2 in Cardinal last 11 games following a S.U. loss.
* Cardinal are 19-8-1 ATS in their last 28 conference games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Bruins lead the series 45-36-3, but have lost the last five meetings.

2. UCLA is outscoring its opponents 71-0 in the third quarter.

3. Stanford has nine three-and-out drives in its last two games after having a total of nine over its four contests.

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Florida at Missouri: What bettors need to know

Florida Gators at Missouri Tigers (+3, 43.5)

Just when Missouri announced itself as a contender in the SEC, it lost its starting quarterback. The 14th-ranked Tigers will try to get by without James Franklin when they host No. 22 Florida on Saturday. Missouri picked up a signature win with a strong performance on both sides of the ball at Georgia last week but lost Franklin to a shoulder injury for at least three weeks, leaving the quarterback spot to Maty Mauk.

Mauk went 3-for-3 in backup duty in the 41-26 victory over Georgia but will be making his first start Saturday. The Gators own the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the nation but failed to get anything done on offense last week in a 17-6 setback at LSU. The Tigers are the lone team left in the SEC East still undefeated in the division, with Florida right behind them at 3-1 in conference play.

TV: 12:21 p.m. ET, ESPN3.

LINE: The Gators opened as 3-point road faves. The total opened at 44 and is down to 43.5.

WEATHER: There is a 29 percent chance of rain with wind blowing across the field at 6 mph.

ABOUT FLORIDA (4-2, 3-1 SEC): The Gators will not have much sympathy for the Tigers and their quarterback loss because of their own set of injuries that ravaged the offense. Running back Matt Jones is the latest to go down after suffering a season-ending knee injury against LSU and will take his place on the sideline next to quarterback Jeff Driskel, who went down for the season on Sept. 21. Tyler Murphy took over for Driskel and was solid in his first two starts before struggling to 15-for-27 for 115 yards last week.

ABOUT MISSOURI (6-0, 2-0): The Tigers put together one of the top offenses in the country behind Franklin, putting up an average of 45.7 points and failing to top 40 only once. Missouri shocked the Bulldogs last week defensively as well, forcing four turnovers, and needs one more interception to double its total from last season (seven). Mauk was an All-American in high school and also starred in track and field, which should allow the Tigers to keep the running packages that made Franklin dangerous in place.

TRENDS:

* Gators are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following a S.U. loss.
* Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 7-2 in Gators last nine games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 11-2 in Tigers last 13 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Missouri has forced at least one turnover in 36 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation.

2. Florida leads the SEC in total defense, allowing an average of 235.3 yards.

3. The Tigers are looking for their first 7-0 start since 2010.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

College football betting weather report: Saturday's forecasts

Find out how weather will impact your college football bets for Saturday's matchups:

Connecticut Huskies at Cincinnati Bearcats (-14.5, 46)

Temperatures will be in the low-50s with a 74 percent chance of showers. Wind will blow across the field at 9 mph.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles at East Carolina Pirates (-22.5, 53)

Temperatures will be in the high-60s with a 54 percent chance of rain.

Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan State Spartans (-28, 42.5)

Temperatures will be in the high-40s with an 81 percent chance of showers.

Navy Midshipmen at Toledo Rockets (-10, 54.5)

There is a 44 percent chance of rain with wind blowing across the field at 8 mph.

Texas Tech Red Raiders at West Virginia Mountaineers (+5.5, 57)

There is a 42 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats (-12, 53.5)

There is a 47 percent chance of rain in the forecast with wind blowing across Ryan Field at 12 mph.

Florida Gators at Missouri Tigers (+3, 44)

There is a 33 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Ohio Bobcats at Eastern Michigan Eagles (+17, 57)

There is a 40 percent chance of rain in the forecast. Wind will blow across the field at 13 mph.

Akron Zips at Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (+7, 44.5)

There is a 74 percent chance of showers with wind blowing across the field at 11 mph.

Ball State Cardinals at Western Michigan Broncos (+20, 50.5)

There is an 84 percent chance of showers in the forecast.

Colorado State Rams at Wyoming Cowboys (-7, 66.5)

Wind will blow across the field at 15 mph.

Northern Illinois Huskies at Central Michigan Chippewas (+15, 59)

There is a 77 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Kent State Golden Flashes at South Alabama Jaguars (-6.5, 56)

There is a 50 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Massachusetts Minutemen at Buffalo Bulls (-20, 45)

There is a 70 percent chance of rain in the forecast and wind will blow across the field at 12 mph.

Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Wolverines (-9.5, 68.5)

There is a 42 percent chance of rain with wind blowing across the field at 10 mph.

Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio State Buckeyes (-17.5, 55)

There is a 74 percent chance of rain with wind blowing across Ohio Stadium at 7 mph.

Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas Jayhawks (+22, 49.5)

Wind will blow across the field at 12 mph.

USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-3, 51)

There is a 29 percent chance of rain with wind blowing across the field at 10 mph.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Essential betting tidbits for Week 8 of college football

We dug up these vital betting tidbits for some of Saturday's college football action that will help you make the right call before kickoff.

- The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 7-0 ATS in their last seven meetings in Northwestern. The Wildcats are 12-point home faves Saturday.

- Purdue ranks 119th out of 123 FBS teams in rushing offense, averaging only 77.8 yards.

- The Georgia Bulldogs have won 10 in a row at Vanderbilt Stadium and 17 of the last 18 meetings overall in the series.

- Southern Miss is riding a 17-game losing streak SU. The Golden Eagles are 4-13 ATS over that stretch of games. They are at East Carolina Saturday and are 22.5-point road dogs.

- Fresh off a bye week, TCU is at Oklahoma State Saturday. The Horned Frogs are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games following a bye week. They are 7.5-point road dogs.

- The Texas Tech Red Raiders lead the nation in forcing three-and-outs (7.33 per game) and lead the Big 12 in third-down conversion defense (28.2 percent). Tech is a 5-point road fave at West Virginia Saturday.

- Cincinnati has scored a touchdown on 18-of-25 possessions in the red zone. The Bearcats host Connecticut Saturday. The Huskies are one of six schools to allow opponents to score on 100 percent of trips to the red zone.

- The road team is 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings between South Carolina and Tennessee. The Gamecocks are 7.5-point road faves at Tennessee Saturday.

- The Under is 10-1 in Navy's last 11 games following a bye week. The Midshipmen are at Toledo with a total of 54.5.

- Southern Methodist is averaging 361.2 yards passing per game, which is seventh-best nationally.

- The Florida Gators lead the SEC in total defense, allowing an average of 235.3 yards. The Gators are 3-point road faves at Mizzou.

- Georgia Tech won the last meeting with Syracuse by a score of 51-14 back in 2004. The Jackets are favored by a touchdown this time around.

- The Akron Zips are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven meetings at Miami (Ohio). The Zips are 7-point faves at the Redhawks Saturday.

- The Over is 6-1 in Eastern Michigan's previous seven home games. The total is 55 for EMU's meeting with Ohio Saturday.

- Temple is 5-0 both SU and ATS versus Army in the last five meetings. The Owls are 2.5-point home faves Saturday.

- The road team has covered in six of the last eight meetings between Ball State and Western Michigan. The Cardinals are 20-point road faves.

- The Colorado State Rams are just 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings at Wyoming. The Rams are 6.5-point road dogs Saturday.

- The Northern Illinois Huskies have reeled off 12-straight victories on the road. Their last loss was to Central Michigan in 2011. The Huskies are 15-road faves at Central Michigan.

- The Kent State Golden Flashes have been ATS road warriors of late, posting a record of 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games. The Flashes are 7-point underdogs at South Alabama.

- The UCLA Bruins have lost five straight games to Stanford and are 1-4 ATS in those meetings. The Bruines are 4.5-point road dogs at Stanford Saturday.

- The Maryland Terrapins don't fare so well coming off of a bye week. The Terps are 0-6 ATS in their last six games following a bye. They are 5-point road faves at Wake Forest.

- The UMass Minutemen are one of three teams (Ohio, Memphis) to have not played a game over the total this season. The Minutemen are in Buffalo with a total of 47.

- The Oklahoma Sooners are 14-0 under coach Bob Stoops - including a 6-0 mark against the Jayhawks - in the game after Texas with an average margin of 27 points. The Sooners are 22-point road faves at Kansas.

- Auburn has had a 100-yard rusher in five of its six games, including the last three. Texas A&M ranks 91st nationally allowing 193.4 rushing yards per game.

- Saturday marks the first meeting between BYU and Houston, but BYU is 6-1 versus AAC opposition.

- The Duke Blue Devils are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings against Virginia. Duke are 2.5-point road dogs Saturday.

- The Michigan Wolverines rank eight nationally allowing 89.5 rushing yards per game and has not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season.

- Ohio State has dominated Iowa both SU and ATS recently. The Buckeyes have won three straight meetings and 11 of the last 12 while posting an ATS mark of 7-2-1 in the last 10.

- The North Texas Mean Green are 0-3 SU and ATS away from home this season and are 3.5-point faves at Louisiana Tech.

- Saturday's 67.5-point total in the Washington at Arizona State game marks the fourth time this season the Huskies will see a total of 60 points or higher. The Under is 3-0 in those three games - including last week's 75.5-point total versus Oregon.

- LSU and Ole Miss have played over the total in their last four meetings overall and the last four at Ole Miss. Saturday's total is 60 in this SEC tilt.

- Despite putting up a pedestrian (by their standards) 35 points one week ago at Kansas State, the Baylor Bears are currently seeing a total of 76.5 for their home game versus Iowa State Saturday. The Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the two programs.

- Alabama leads the all-time series against Arkansas 13-8, winning 52-0 in Fayetteville, Ark., last year. The Tide are 29-point faves at home this time around.

- At 4-1-1 ATS, Georgia State ranks 11th in ATS standings. The Panthers are 16-point road dogs at Texas State Saturday.

- USC has won five straight matchups at Notre Dame but is 3-2 ATS in those five games. The Irish are favored by a field goal Saturday.

- October is a scary month for Nevada backers. The Wolf Pack are 0-7 ATS in their last seven October games. They are 23-point road dogs at Boise State.

- The Over is 9-1 in the New Mexico State Aggies last 10 games overall. Saturday's total is 57 with Rice in town.

- Wisconsin is one of two teams (Florida State) to rank in the top 10 in total offense and total defense. The Badgers are ninth in total offense, fifth in total defense.

- No visiting team starting a freshman quarterback has won at Clemson since Tyrod Taylor and Virginia Tech in 2007. Florida State and its QB Jameis Winston will try to break that drought as a 3-point road fave.

- The Under is 7-0 in the Utah State Aggies last seven games vs. a team with a losing record. The Aggies face the 2-4 New Mexico Lobos with a total of 52.

- The Fresno State Bulldogs are 13-0 under coach Tim DeRuyter when scoring 30 or more points in a game. They host the UNLV Rebels Saturday night, who rank 117th by allowing 41.8 points per game.

- The Oregon Ducks own the best ATS mark at 6-0 and are favored by 39.5 as they host Washington State.

- The Utah Utes have won 49 consecutive games when leading at halftime.

- The Oregon State Beavers are the top Covers consensus road pick on Saturday at 71 percent. The Beavers are 10.5-point road faves at Cal Saturday night.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

CFL Saturday: What bettors need to know

Toronto Argonauts at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+6, 53)

Fresh off an upset victory over the Montreal Alouettes, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have another opportunity to play spoiler when they host the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday. A Winnipeg victory would put the Argonauts' hold on the East Division in jeopardy after they dropped two straight games to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Toronto has not lost three consecutive games in 2013 and the return of quarterback Ricky Ray should pay dividends against a porous Blue Bombers' secondary.

Winnipeg has allowed 287.6 passing yards per game, second only to the 300.3 passing yards per game allowed by the Argonauts. Blue Bombers quarterback Max Hall is improving as he gets more comfortable as the starter, throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns against Montreal. Winnipeg has scored just 313 points - 112 less than the Argonauts, who lead the division with 425.

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

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (9-6): Ray has completed a remarkable 78 percent of his passes and did not throw an interception until last week in his return from injury. Defensive back Patrick Watkins, tied for the league lead in interceptions with five, missed last week’s game due to a personal matter but should be available Saturday. Wide receiver John Chiles injured his hamstring in practice last Saturday and is questionable to play against the Blue Bombers.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (3-12): Linebacker Henoc Muamba leads the team with 89 tackles and 17 special teams tackles. Will Ford has emerged as Winnipeg’s top running back, with 108 total yards and two touchdowns last week and 1,370 total combined yards this season. Slotback Clarence Denmark leads the Blue Bombers with 714 receiving yards.

TRENDS:

* Argonauts are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings in Winnipeg.
* Under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Winnipeg.
* Argonauts are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games.
* Blue Bombers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Blue Bombers have allowed a league-worst seven games of 300 passing yards or more.

2. The Argonauts won the previous meeting in Winnipeg 35-19. These two teams meet again in Toronto next week to close their season series.

3. Toronto is 6-2 on the road; Winnipeg is 1-6 at home.


BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-3.5, 51)

The Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions will battle for position in the West Division playoff picture when they meet at Saskatchewan on Saturday. BC trails the Roughriders by two points for second place in the division, which guarantees a home playoff game, and Saturday's winner will claim the season series and hold the tiebreaker advantage. Saskatchewan has won its last two games, while BC has stumbled to two straight losses.

One of the Lions defeats came at home against the Roughriders, who have looked rejuvenated by the return of running back Kory Sheets. Sheets ran for 80 yards and caught six passes for another 41 yards against BC and added 106 rushing yards last week against the Edmonton Eskimos, suggesting he is still in his early season form. Sheets will be in tough to record those totals again against the Lions, who have limited opponents to an average of 90.5 rushing yards with their stingy defense.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN

ABOUT THE LIONS (9-6): Slotback Nick Moore is 34 receiving yards away from his first 1,000-yard season. Running back Andrew Harris has 791 rushing yards as part of 1,233 yards from scrimmage and should expect to see more carries while starting quarterback Travis Lulay is still sidelined. Linebacker Adam Bighill’s 80 tackles and eight sacks lead the team.

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (10-5): Slotback Chris Getzlaf is within 89 receiving yards of tying his career-best mark of 1,071, set in 2011. Sheets has 1,408 rushing yards, second in the league to Calgary running back Jon Cornish. Quarterback Darian Durant has a career-best 29 touchdown passes this season as part of 3,765 passing yards.

TRENDS:

* Under is 19-7 in the last 26 meetings.
* Lions are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings.
* Lions are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games.
* Under is 4-0 in Roughriders last four games overall.


EXTRA POINTS:

1. Saskatchewan DB Carlos Thomas was fined an undisclosed amount for launching himself at Edmonton QB Mike Reilly in last week’s game.

2. Lions CB Cord Parks is tied for the league lead in interceptions with five.

3. BC won the previous meeting at Saskatchewan 24-22, but lost 31-17 at home two weeks ago.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tigers at Red Sox: What bettors need to know

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox (-115, 7)

The host Boston Red Sox are one victory away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 2007 and will have to defeat either Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander to get there. Boston has a 3-2 lead over the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series and Scherzer, the probable AL Cy Young Award winner, will attempt to even the series on Saturday. Verlander would start Game 7 on Sunday if the Red Sox don’t wrap up the series in six games.

Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera isn’t displaying his MVP-caliber form due to groin and abdominal injuries and first baseman Prince Fielder has played 17 consecutive postseason games without an RBI. “We have to go to Fenway and we have to fight hard to win a game,” Cabrera said after the Tigers' 4-3 loss in Game 5 on Thursday. “If we do that, we have to keep fighting and get the next one.” Boston’s Mike Napoli has been a force with a .375 average and two homers in the series, while designated hitter David Ortiz is 2-for-19 – with one of the hits being his memorable game-tying grand slam in Game 2 that saved the Red Sox from falling into an 0-2 hole.

TV: 4:37 p.m. ET, Fox

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-60s and wind will blow out to left field at 11 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Max Scherzer (0-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (0-0, 7.94)

Scherzer dominated Boston hitters in Game 2, striking out 13 and allowing one run and two hits in seven innings. He departed with a 5-1 lead after 108 pitches before a bullpen meltdown helped the Red Sox rally for an improbable victory. One of Scherzer’s three regular-season losses came at Fenway Park when he allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings on Sept. 3.

Buchholz began strongly in Game 2 before wilting - giving up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Tigers torched him for four runs in the sixth with four extra-base hits, including homers by Cabrera and Alex Avila. Buchholz has a 6.17 ERA and has been touched for three homers in 11 2/3 innings this postseason.

TRENDS:

* Over is 7-1-1 in Scherzer's last nine starts vs. Red Sox.
* Red Sox are 8-1 in Buchholz's last nine starts with 5 days of rest.
* Red Sox are 6-1 in Buchholz's last seven starts vs. Tigers.

UMPIRE TRENDS - Dan Iassogna:

* Road team is 9-1 in Iassogna's last 10 games behind home plate.
* Under is 20-6-3 in Iassogna's last 29 games behind home plate.
* Red Sox are 1-5 in their last six games with Iassogna behind home plate.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Four of the five games have been decided by one run, which is one shy of the record for a league championship series - set by the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves in the 1999 NLCS.

2. Avila (knee) left Game 5 two innings after a collision at home plate and is questionable for Saturday’s contest.

3. Boston RHP Koji Uehara retired all five batters for his second save of the series. He has struck out seven in five scoreless innings in the ALCS.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

English Breakfast: Premier League betting cheat sheet

After what seems like an eternity since we last saw England's top clubs on the pitch, the Premier League returns after the international break.

We talk to Aron Black at Bet365 to find where action is on some of the hotter fixtures.

Newcastle v Liverpool (+350, +290, -120)

Why bet Newcastle: The Magpies stopped a two-match losing skid with a 2-1 win away to Cardiff. Believe it or not, ex-Marseille star Loïc Remy is second in the league with five goals after his brace at Cardiff.

Key players out/doubtful: Ryan Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini

Why bet Liverpool: After a blip in their home loss to sizzling Southampton, the Reds have posted back-to-back wins and sit second in the table. It's like Luis Suárez hasn't missed a beat, as the Uruguayan has tallied three goals in two games since returning from his 10-match ban.

Key players out/doubtful: Philippe Coutinho, Sebastián Coates, Iago Aspas

2012-13 fixture result: Newcastle 0, Liverpool 6

Key betting note: Liverpool have seen more than 2.5 goals in 14 of its last 16 away games in the Premier League.

Where the action is: "The away price looks on the short side given the kickoff time after the Internationals, however the Reds see a lot of support to take the three points. Newcastle has their supporters, but the value on them may lie in backing Loic Remy to score anytime at +200. A fixture that has thrown up at least two of the most memorable Premier League matches, and as is often the case, 4-3 as a correct score sees traditional backing (Liverpool 4-3 +8000, Newcastle 4-3 +12500) Over 2.5 goals sees a fair amount of backing at -154."


Arsenal v Norwich (-333, +475, +1100)

Why bet Arsenal: Top of the table and their injury list calming down of late, the Gunners have won five and drawn one since losing their first match of the season. Theo Walcott is available once again but will probably start from the bench.

Key players out/doubtful: Abou Diaby, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo.

Why bet Norwich: Norwich added a lot of pieces to the side in the transfer window, but those pieces have yet to mesh. The Canaries have been wildly inconsistent to start the campaign but field a competitive side. Their goalscoring purchases - Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper - are capable, but must start contributing for the side to succeed.

Key players out/doubtful: Anthony Pilkington, Elliott Bennett

2012-13 fixture result: Arsenal 3, Norwich 1

Key betting note: Arsenal have just three clean sheets in its last 14 league games at the Emirates.


Chelsea v Cardiff (-450, +600, +1400)

Why bet Chelsea: Chelsea could be the poster child for inconsistency this season with their last six results going W, D, L, W, D, W. The Blues are third in the table and it looks like the dynamic Juan Mata could find a spot in Mourinho's starting XI. Finally.

Key players out/doubtful: Marco van Ginkel, Fernando Torres, Ashley Cole

Why bet Cardiff: Cardiff will aim for survival in the top flight and getting any result at Stamford Bridge is a tall order for the newly-promoted club. The Bluebirds will have their hands full with Chelsea's magical creative players. They will flood the middle of the park in an effort to secure at least a draw.

Key players out/doubtful: Andreas Cornelius

2012-13 fixture result: N/A

Key betting note: Chelsea has scored at least two goals in the previous eight league matches at Stamford Bridge.


Everton v Hull (-222, +350, +800)

Why bet Everton: After jumping out to a quick 1-0 at Man City in their last match, Everton tasted defeat for the first time under Roberto Martinez as City prevailed 3-1. The Toffees boast one of the best strikers in the league (by way of Chelsea) in Romelu Lukaku who has four goals thus far.

Key players out/doubtful: Antolin Alcaraz, Darron Gibson

Why bet Hull: The Tigers sit just one point back of Everton in eighth in the league table and have eight points in their last four matches. They must play tidy defense, which has eluded the club away from home. The Tigers have given up one goal at home, but conceded six in their three away matches.

Key players out/doubtful: Robert Koren, James Chester, Robbie Brady

2012-13 fixture result: N/A

Key betting note: The Toffees have been winning at the half and full time in eight of their last nine home matches in the league.

Where the action is: "A tough away fixture for any team at Goodison Park. Everton are unbeaten at home in the calendar year, and have great home support from their crowd. Everton are well supported here to take the 3 points, as impressive as Hull's start has been, their lack of goals will cause concern for anyone wishing to back them."


Manchester United v Southampton (-167, +320, +525)

Why bet United: The Red Devils have not gotten off to the best of starts under David Moyes and this fixture will prove to be a tough one. A bevy of United players served for their countries this past week and fatigue could be a concern. Wayne Rooney could be hitting his stride as he's been playing well for both club and England.

Key players out/doubtful: Darren Fletcher

Why bet Southampton: On the contrary, the Saints have been playing incredibly strong football under their new-ish boss Mauricio Pochettino. The Saints have won three straight and confidence will be at an all-time high. Exciting LB Luke Shaw, who missed the victory over Swansea, should return to a defense that has allowed a league-low two goals in seven matches.

Key players out/doubtful: N/A

2012-13 fixture result: United 2, Southampton 1

Key betting note: United hasn't lost back-to-back home matches in the league since 2002.

Where the action is: "Its not the best of times for Man United, and this is a fixture that could definitely pose them problems. They see a lot of support from the punters who feel the price on them is too big, and although the away side has been good so far, its hard to get too excited about 5/1 at Old Trafford."


Stoke v West Brom (+138, +220, +240)

Why bet Stoke: A tough run of games for the Potters, who have lost three straight heading into this one. On the plus side, the squad is basically healthy and Mark Hughes needs to use this fixture to return to the winning column, or else potentially place the club in the relegation zone.

Key players out/doubtful: N/A

Why bet West Brom: The Baggies have gone four straight without suffering defeat and even won at Old Trafford over United. Quietly, the club has put together a dangerous side going forward with Morgan Amalfitano, Stéphane Sessegnon, and Nicolas Anelka.

Key players out/doubtful: Zoltán Gera, Ben Foster, Chris Brunt, Scott Sinclair

2012-13 fixture result: Stoke 0, West Brom 0

Key betting note: Stoke has kept West Brom off the scoreboard in six of the last eight meetings with West Brom.


Swansea v Sunderland (-167, +300, +550)

Why bet Swansea: The Swans, a much celebrated side leading into the season, have not produced the quality of football that we've expected. There's still time, and a home fixture against the league's worst club could be just what the Welsh outfit need. New signing Wilfried Bony must start chipping in with goals as Michu can't carry the side alone.

Key players out/doubtful: Garry Monk, Ashley Williams

Why bet Sunderland: Because they have to win at some point? The team is in absolute disarray and has one point in seven matches as they toil at the bottom of the table. It's not good. But perhaps new manager Gus Poyet can inject some life into this otherwise insipid club.

Key players out/doubtful: Phillip Bardsley, Wes Brown

2012-13 fixture result: Swansea 2, Sunderland 2

Key betting note: The Swans have given up at least two goals in their last five matches in the league.


West Ham v Man City (+450, +290, -143)

Why bet West Ham: The Hammers are coming off a massive victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane in their last game and will look to keep momentum going. City have not played well away from home yet and could be ripe for the picking at Upton Park.

Key players out/doubtful: Andy Carroll, Alou Diarra, James Collins

Why bet City: If City wants to win the league, they need three points from away fixtures like this one. The void left by the injured Vincent Kompany is glaring, but a club with the deepest of pockets should have a contingency plan. New manager Manuel Pellegrini plays a more attacking style then has been seen at City, so perhaps that contingency plan is to score five, six or seven goals.

Key players out/doubtful: Martín Demichelis

2012-13 fixture result: West Ham 0, City 0

Key betting note: City has lost just one of their last 12 league matches versus City (three draws).

Where the action is: "City have not performed as most would expect, however with the quality in depth that they have, they are always going to be supported, and this game is no different with majority of action on the Citizens to take the three points."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NCAAF line watch: Florida State backers sit tight

Each week during the college football season, renowned Las Vegas wiseguy and Covers Expert Bruce Marshall looks at the NCAAF odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out.

Spread to bet now

Connecticut Huskies at Cincinnati Bearcats (-14)

There are a handful of games each week in which the only moves in one particular direction are going to come at the outset. Such as last week’s Hawaii-UNLV game, when the “sharps” moved the initial price in the Rebels’ direction, then watched as the public gradually shoved the line the other way the rest of the week.

This week’s example of a team “only the sharps could love” is troubled and winless UConn, which surprisingly generated enough early action at +16 for this Saturday’s American clash at Cincinnati that the price quickly dipped as low as 14 at many Nevada wagering outlets.

In truth, however, the burst of early Huskies’ money was probably more of a reaction to perceived overvalue on the part of Tommy Tuberville’s Cincy, which has dropped four of its last five against the spread after opening with a lopsided win over Purdue, a result that in retrospect perhaps distorted the perception of the Bearcats.

But Cincy’s failure to cover in three straight versus teams all winless at the time (Miami-Ohio, South Florida, and Temple) has understandably soured the marketplace (and, apparently, the sharp money) on the Bearcats.

We suspect the early move on this Saturday’s game was almost completely due to the growing anti-Cincinnati sentiment among the sharps.

The public money, however, might not share the same degree of misgiving about the Bearcats, and is instead more likely to react to the negative news surrounding UConn, which has not only changed coaches in midstream (Paul Pasqualoni out, o.c. T.J. Weist promoted to interim HC), but has also switched QBs.

Indeed, Weist’s first move was benching incumbent starter Chandler Whitmer and replacing him with true frosh Tim Boyle, who proceeded to complete only 15 of his 43 pass attempts in his first start last Saturday against USF.

Series trends between these sides also heavily favor the home team, which has covered seven of the last eight meetings.

The bottom line is that we foresee no further money moves in UConn’s direction. There are enough 14s currently posted at Las Vegas books for Cincy-inclined backers to take advantage ASAP at the current reduced price before the spread inevitably moves above that key number later in the week.


Spread to wait on

Florida State Seminoles (-3) at Clemson Tigers

It has been a while since the nation has been as transfixed upon an ACC gridiron battle as it will for this Saturday’s FSU at Clemson tussle. Expect action to be brisk at the Las Vegas sports books for this clash with not only ACC, but BCS and even Heisman Trophy ramifications.

Early movement in this price was hard to detect, but it’s what we didn’t see that caught our attention. Specifically, there was not enough appetite for the Seminoles among the sharps or the first wave of public money to move the price above the key number of FSU -3. In fact, for a short while there were a few stray 2.5s popping up in the marketplace, but for the most part there has been no early movement off of the key number of 3.

All of this is illuminating, suggesting the Tigers have earned a degree of respect in the marketplace. While Clemson’s spread form has been indifferent in recent weeks, and the Tigers were involved in an unexpected scrap last Saturday vs. Boston College, most of the public money will be recalling Clemson’s rousing opener against SEC rep Georgia, a game in which the Tigers prevailed in exciting fashion. Along with the Chick-fil-A Bowl win over LSU last New Year’s Eve, Dabo Swinney’s squad has been making a positive impression in recent high-profile games.

Indicators are that Seminole backers probably don’t have to worry about the price at Death Valley to rise above the key number of 3. But there figures to be ample opportunity to lay less than 3 as the week progresses, so we suggest that FSU backers ought to sit tight and wait for opportunities to play this game beneath a very key number later in the week.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

College football odds: Week 8 opening line report

Week 8 of the NCAA football schedule brings us a dream matchup in the ACC as the Clemson Tigers (6-0 SU, 3-3 ATS) host the Florida State Seminoles (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS).

Both teams are undefeated and feature quarterbacks who find themselves in the thick of the Heisman race.

'Noles QB Jameis Winston has been sensational all season and is second in the country with a 213.9 QB rating.

Florida State will be fresh off a bye week as they head to South Carolina and absolutely hammered Maryland 63-0 in their last effort.

Clemson has its own Heisman hopeful in QB Tajh Boyd. The Tigers defeated Boston College 24-14 to improve to a perfect 6-0 Saturday.

According to Peter Korner, founder of the Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club, he and his team of oddsmakers sent out Florida State as the fave but he believes the home team is the team to beat here.

"We put out Florida State -1.5 but I'm not so sure they should be the favorite," Korner told Covers. "Clemson will show up and being at home, there's no reason they can't win this one straight up. Initial offshore money was on FSU that drove this to -3 but we're not convinced of that. We started lower and expect the money to come our way."


Auburn Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies (-15)

Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS) just keep on rolling. But while the Aggies' defense leaves plenty to be desired, offense is the name of the game at College Station.

The Aggies are fourth in the country averaging 47.8 points per game on offense and face an Auburn Tigers (5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS) team that features a very stingy defense and potent rushing attack.

"With A&M and Manziel, I usually go with whoever has the highest number but after they squeaked by in their last game, we may not have to," Korner said. "Fortunately, we were all close in this one with a low of -14 and a high of -15.5. We made it -15 and hope Auburn will keep up."


Florida Gators at Missouri Tigers (+2.5)

It has been a spectacular season for the SEC East leading Missouri Tigers (6-0 SU, 5-0-1 ATS).

The Tigers 41-26 victory at No. 7 Georgia should be what everyone is talking about. But it's the injury to senior-QB James Franklin that is stealing headlines.

Franklin will reportedly miss at least six weeks after he left the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter Saturday.

Korner states that Mizzou would be the fave with Franklin in the lineup, but had to give the edge to the visiting Gators (4-2 SU, 2-4 ATS) for this SEC matchup.

"Franklin is out and that's pretty big so this week's line is a test of who can figure out how much he's worth," says Korner. "With him in, Missouri is definitely a small favorite but we switched it up and made Florida the -2.5 point favorite. Have to roll the dice in this one."


UCLA Bruins at Stanford Cardinal (-4)

A very interesting battle in the Pac-12 that would have been even more interesting if Utah didn't burst Stanford's bubble Saturday.

The Cardinal (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS) dropped their first game by a score of 27-21 to the Utes but still open as faves with the visiting UCLA Bruins (5-0 SU, 5-0 ATS) in town.

The Bruins sit first the South division of the Pac-12 and have an unblemished 5-0 ATS mark on the season.

Korner and his team were unanimous on this one with the Cardinal getting the edge.

"Didn't have much to discuss in this one as everyone had Stanford -4," confirmed Korner. "We'll see how Stanford reacts after their upset loss at Utah."

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Exposing the Top 25: Where the polls went wrong
By JESSE SCHULE

Each week throughout the college football season, Covers Expert Jesse Schule will dissect the new Top 25 rankings, looking for betting value. He'll showcase the most overrated team, along with the most underrated ranked team, and an unranked squad that he feels should be in the Top 25.

Most underrated Top 25 team: UCLA Bruins (6-0 SU, 6-0 ATS)

The Bruins have covered the points in all six of their wins this season and bettors are taking notice. After opening as 6.5-point underdogs versus Stanford on the road this week, public money has brought that line down at least two points.

The Cardinal were upset by the Utes in Utah last week, a team that UCLA handled with relative ease just 11 days prior. The Bruins offense is averaging over 45 points per game (seventh in the country). Quarterback Brett Hundley threw for a career-high 410 yards against Cal last week.

Most overrated Top 25 team: Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS)

The Red Raiders didn't look good in their win over Iowa State this week, allowing a special teams touchdown and turning the ball over three times. With games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State coming up in the next few weeks, remaining undefeated is going to be tough.

After opening as 8-point favorites on the road in West Virginia next week, that line has now been bet down below a touchdown. It's easy to see why people would be skeptical about the Red Raiders covering on the road.

Unranked team that should be ranked: Utah Utes (4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS)

The Utes have made the best of a tough schedule, with impressive victories over Utah State, BYU, and then a shocker over Stanford Saturday. The remainder of the schedule only sees one more ranked opponent, but that's a game against Oregon in which they won't stand much of a chance.

Still with five games against unranked teams, a bowl appearance is still in play. Both of their losses this season have come at home, and one of those was an overtime thriller against the Beavers. Utah has consecutive road games against Arizona and USC coming up.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

RAS

Wyoming -6 1/2
North Texas -6

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Football Jesus NCAA : Stanford

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DCI College Football

Saturday, October 19, 2013
American Athletic Conference
Connecticut -- 9.2, CINCINNATI -- 28.6 (--)
Smu -- 28.1, MEMPHIS -- 28.8 (--)
Atlantic Coast Conference
Florida State 30.5 at CLEMSON 32.0, 8:00 pm ET
Syracuse 30.0 at GEORGIA TECH 25.5, 12:30 pm ET
Duke 30.8 at VIRGINIA 29.1, 3:30 pm ET
Maryland 25.7 at WAKE FOREST 18.5, 3:30 pm ET
Big 12 Conference
Iowa State 24.5 at BAYLOR 58.1, 7:00 pm ET
Oklahoma 38.8 at KANSAS 11.4, 3:30 pm ET
Tcu 26.0 at OKLAHOMA STATE 33.2, 12:00 pm ET
Texas Tech 38.7 at WEST VIRGINIA 35.5, 12:00 pm ET
Big Ten Conference
Wisconsin 36.6 at ILLINOIS 15.9, 8:00 pm ET
Indiana 27.5 at MICHIGAN 47.0, 3:30 pm ET
Purdue 8.1 at MICHIGAN STATE 39.2, 12:00 pm ET
Minnesota 19.1 at NORTHWESTERN 34.7, 12:00 pm ET
Iowa 13.6 at OHIO STATE 38.8, 3:30 pm ET
Conference USA
Southern Miss 18.4 at EAST CAROLINA 43.9, 12:00 pm ET
North Texas 31.1 at LOUISIANA TECH 26.7, 3:30 pm ET
Mid-American Conference
Massachusetts 6.7 at BUFFALO 30.3, 3:30 pm ET
Northern Illinois 39.0 at CENTRAL MICHIGAN 22.1, 3:00 pm ET
Ohio 36.0 at EASTERN MICHIGAN 19.6, 1:00 pm ET
Akron 24.2 at MIAMI (OHIO) 18.6, 1:00 pm ET
Ball State 45.5 at WESTERN MICHIGAN 15.9, 2:00 pm ET
Mountain West Conference
Nevada 26.5 at BOISE STATE 49.9, 8:00 pm ET
Unlv 29.4 at FRESNO STATE 52.0, 10:00 pm ET
Utah State 42.4 at NEW MEXICO 24.3, 9:00 pm ET
Colorado State 29.3 at WYOMING 37.6, 2:00 pm ET
Pacific-12 Conference
Utah 36.0 at ARIZONA 31.5, 10:00 pm ET
Washington 32.5 at ARIZONA STATE 38.0, 6:00 pm ET
Oregon State 47.3 at CALIFORNIA 28.2, 10:30 pm ET
Washington State 17.3 at OREGON 56.0, 10:00 pm ET
Ucla 27.0 at STANFORD 34.0, 3:30 pm ET
Southeastern Conference
Arkansas 2.4 at ALABAMA 44.2, 7:00 pm ET
Florida 19.1 at MISSOURI 28.5, 12:21 pm ET
Lsu 33.9 at OLE MISS 25.8, 7:00 pm ET
South Carolina 39.8 at TENNESSEE 23.5, 12:00 pm ET
Auburn 27.3 at TEXAS A&M 44.9, 3:30 pm ET
Georgia 39.4 at VANDERBILT 30.2, 12:00 pm ET
Sun Belt Conference
Georgia State 20.0 at TEXAS STATE 35.2, 7:00 pm ET
FBS Non-Conference
Byu 32.5 at HOUSTON 22.2, 3:30 pm ET
Rice 46.3 at NEW MEXICO STATE 16.0, 8:00 pm ET
Usc 20.5 at NOTRE DAME 29.9, 7:30 pm ET
Old Dominion 28.3 at PITTSBURGH 42.7, 7:00 pm ET
Kent State 29.6 at SOUTH ALABAMA 22.2, 3:00 pm ET
Army 27.0 at TEMPLE 26.8, 1:00 pm ET
Navy 21.1 at TOLEDO 31.3, 12:00 pm ET
Big Sky Conference
Southern Utah 19.7 at EASTERN WASHINGTON 34.4, 8:05 pm ET
Cal Poly 23.7 at MONTANA 34.7, 3:30 pm ET
Sacramento State 37.0 at NORTH DAKOTA 30.0, 3:30 pm ET
Idaho State 11.9 at NORTHERN ARIZONA 44.1, 7:05 pm ET
UC Davis 21.1 at NORTHERN COLORADO 22.5, 3:35 pm ET
Montana State 41.8 at WEBER STATE 18.0, 5:30 pm ET
Big South Conference
Coastal Carolina 34.3 at LIBERTY 26.8, 3:30 pm ET
Vmi 26.0 at PRESBYTERIAN 25.5, 2:00 pm ET
Colonial Athletic Association
Towson -- 45.5, ALBANY -- 20.3 (--)
William & Mary -- 13.7, MAINE -- 26.0 (--)
Villanova -- 32.4, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- 28.9 (--)
Richmond -- 27.2, RHODE ISLAND -- 16.2 (--)
Ivy League
Princeton 18.7 at BROWN 28.3, 6:00 pm ET
Penn 27.8 at COLUMBIA 14.6, 1:30 pm ET
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Savannah State 1.6 at BETHUNE-COOKMAN 42.8, 4:00 pm ET
Howard 21.8 at FLORIDA A&M 25.6, 2:00 pm ET
Hampton 17.3 at NORFOLK STATE 16.6, 1:00 pm ET
Delaware State 11.6 at NORTH CAROLINA A&T 20.8, 1:00 pm ET
Morgan State 14.9 at NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 31.8, 2:00 pm ET
Missouri Valley Football Conference
Indiana State 28.4 at ILLINOIS STATE 31.1, 2:00 pm ET
South Dakota State 25.5 at MISSOURI STATE 17.8, 2:00 pm ET
South Dakota 2.2 at NORTHERN IOWA 27.5, 5:00 pm ET
North Dakota State 28.5 at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 13.6, 3:00 pm ET
Western Illinois 10.3 at YOUNGSTOWN STATE 41.0, 4:00 pm ET
Northeast Conference
Sacred Heart 24.2 at BRYANT 29.8, 1:00 pm ET
Duquesne 25.3 at ROBERT MORRIS 16.6, 6:00 pm ET
Ohio Valley Conference
Southeast Missouri State 19.3 at EASTERN ILLINOIS 48.8, 2:30 pm ET
Tennessee Tech 21.4 at EASTERN KENTUCKY 41.0, 3:00 pm ET
Austin Peay 24.8 at MURRAY STATE 46.8, 4:00 pm ET
Tennessee State 30.4 at UT MARTIN 25.2, 2:00 pm ET
Patriot League
Colgate 25.6 at HOLY CROSS 38.9, 12:00 pm ET
Georgetown 16.4 at LEHIGH 37.8, 12:30 pm ET
Pioneer Football League
Drake 23.9 at BUTLER 24.3, 1:00 pm ET
Jacksonville 43.6 at CAMPBELL 25.8, 1:00 pm ET
Marist 32.7 at DAVIDSON 9.1, 1:00 pm ET
San Diego 25.1 at DAYTON 25.0, 6:00 pm ET
Morehead State 47.8 at VALPARAISO 33.1, 2:00 pm ET
Southern Conference
Chattanooga 31.4 at ELON 19.4, 1:30 pm ET
Appalachian State 23.8 at FURMAN 24.9, 1:30 pm ET
Wofford 37.4 at WESTERN CAROLINA 15.4, 3:30 pm ET
Southland Conference
Central Arkansas 29.4 at LAMAR 16.3, 7:00 pm ET
Sam Houston State 35.7 at MCNEESE STATE 34.3, 8:00 pm ET
Southeastern Louisiana 40.1 at NORTHWESTERN STATE 18.9, 7:00 pm ET
Nicholls State 38.7 at STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 44.4, 4:00 pm ET
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southern 30.0 at ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 30.1, 3:30 pm ET
Grambling 7.9 at JACKSON STATE 38.1, 3:00 pm ET
Mississippi Valley State 18.4 at PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 34.0, 3:00 pm ET
Alcorn State 30.8 at TEXAS SOUTHERN 19.3, 3:00 pm ET
FCS Non-Conference
Incarnate Word 21.3 at ABILENE CHRISTIAN 37.6, 3:00 pm ET
Bucknell 7.8 at DARTMOUTH 32.6, 1:30 pm ET
Lafayette 13.9 at HARVARD 44.1, 1:00 pm ET
Cornell 21.5 at MONMOUTH 33.5, 1:00 pm ET
Fordham 34.3 at YALE 16.7, 12:00 pm ET

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dunkel INDEX

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 Time Posted: 9:00 p.m. EST (10/16)

Game 309-310: Duke at Virginia (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Duke 85.849; Virginia 81.259 Dunkel Line: Duke by 4 1/2; 48 Vegas Line: Virginia by 2 1/2; 52 Dunkel Pick: Duke (+2 1/2); Under

Game 311-312: Army at Temple (1:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Army 74.014; Temple 69.851 Dunkel Line: Army by 4; 63 Vegas Line: Temple by 3; 59 Dunkel Pick: Army (+3); Over

Game 313-314: Ohio at Eastern Michigan (1:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Ohio 77.515; Eastern Michigan 64.736 Dunkel Line: Ohio by 13; 53 Vegas Line: Ohio by 17; 57 Dunkel Pick: Eastern Michigan (+17); Under

Game 315-316: Ball State at Western Michigan (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Ball State 80.242; Western Michigan 63.905 Dunkel Line: Ball State by 16 1/2; 61 Vegas Line: Ball State by 19 1/2; 57 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Western Michigan (+19 1/2); Over

Game 317-318: Northern Illinois at Central Michigan (3:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Northern Illinois 91.129; Central Michigan 66.258 Dunkel Line: Northern Illinois by 25; 54 Vegas Line: Northern Illinois by 16; 59 Dunkel Pick: Northern Illinois (-16); Under

Game 319-320: Purdue at Michigan State (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Purdue 72.052; Michigan State 102.451 Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 30 1/2; 39 Vegas Line: Michigan State by 26 1/2; 42 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Michigan State (-26 1/2); Under

Game 321-322: Southern Mississippi at East Carolina (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Southern Mississippi 67.155; East Carolina 86.463 Dunkel Line: East Carolina by 19 1/2; 58 Vegas Line: East Carolina by 22 1/2; 53 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Southern Mississippi (+22 1/2); Over

Game 323-324: Florida State at Clemson (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Florida State 117.508; Clemson 107.381 Dunkel Line: Florida State by 10; 68 Vegas Line: Florida State by 3; 64 Dunkel Pick: Florida State (-3); Over

Game 325-326: Maryland at Wake Forest (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Maryland 85.916; Wake Forest 82.477 Dunkel Line: Maryland by 3 1/2; 47 Vegas Line: Maryland by 6 1/2; 50 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Wake Forest (+6 1/2); Under

Game 327-328: Texas Tech at West Virginia (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas Tech 96.002; West Virginia 93.534 Dunkel Line: Texas Tech by 2 1/2; 62 Vegas Line: Texas Tech by 6 1/2; 57 Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (+6 1/2); Over

Game 329-330: Minnesota at Northwestern (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 82.154; Northwestern 98.037 Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 16; 50 Vegas Line: Northwestern by 12; 53 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Northwestern (-12); Under

Game 331-332: Navy at Toledo (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Navy 80.682; Toledo 84.611 Dunkel Line: Toledo by 4; 59 Vegas Line: Toledo by 8; 54 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Navy (+8); Over

Game 333-334: Connecticut at Cincinnati (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 78.118; Cincinnati 83.181 Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 5; 42 Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 14; 46 Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+14); Under

Game 335-336: SMU at Memphis (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: SMU 81.204; Memphis 80.078 Dunkel Line: SMU by 1; 43 Vegas Line: Memphis by 3 1/2; 46 1/2 Dunkel Pick: SMU (+3 1/2); Under

Game 337-338: Colorado State at Wyoming (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Colorado State 77.151; Wyoming 89.359 Dunkel Line: Wyoming by 12; 70 Vegas Line: Wyoming by 7; 66 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Wyoming (-7); Over

Game 339-340: Auburn at Texas A&M (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Auburn 92.563; Texas A&M 114.387 Dunkel Line: Texas A&M by 22; 68 Vegas Line: Texas A&M by 12 1/2; 72 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Texas A&M (-12 1/2); Under

Game 341-342: Washington State at Oregon (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington State 90.654; Oregon 122.990 Dunkel Line: Oregon by 32 1/2; 77 Vegas Line: Oregon by 40; 73 Dunkel Pick: Washington State (+40); Over

Game 343-344: Indiana at Michigan (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 88.455; Michigan 101.853 Dunkel Line: Michigan by 13 1/2; 73 Vegas Line: Michigan by 7 1/2; 67 Dunkel Pick: Michigan (-7 1/2); Over

Game 345-346: Syracuse at Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Syracuse 94.704; Georgia Tech 94.099 Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 1; 48 Vegas Line: Georgia Tech by 7 1/2; 54 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (+7 1/2); Under

Game 347-348: Oregon State at California (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oregon State 97.824; California 83.267 Dunkel Line: Oregon State by 14 1/2; 73 Vegas Line: Oregon State by 10 1/2; 68 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Oregon State (-10 1/2); Over

Game 349-350: Iowa at Ohio State (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Iowa 90.388; Ohio State 110.698 Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 20 1/2; 51 Vegas Line: Ohio State by 17; 55 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (-17); Under

Game 351-352: Arkansas at Alabama (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas 88.205; Alabama 112.981 Dunkel Line: Alabama by 25; 44 Vegas Line: Alabama by 28 1/2; 48 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Arkansas (+28 1/2); Under

Game 353-354: South Carolina at Tennessee (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: South Carolina 105.229; Tennessee 88.072 Dunkel Line: South Carolina by 17; 58 Vegas Line: South Carolina by 7; 54 1/2 Dunkel Pick: South Carolina (-7); Over

Game 355-356: Washington at Arizona State (6:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington 104.300; Arizona State 103.777 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 69 Vegas Line: Arizona State by 3; 65 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Washington (+3); Over

Game 357-358: North Texas at Louisiana Tech (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: North Texas 81.095; Louisiana Tech 68.893 Dunkel Line: North Texas by 12; 51 Vegas Line: North Texas by 6 1/2; 55 Dunkel Pick: North Texas (-6 1/2); Under

Game 359-360: Kent State at South Alabama (3:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 77.701; South Alabama 72.926 Dunkel Line: Kent State by 5; 52 Vegas Line: South Alabama by 6 1/2; 56 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Kent State (+6 1/2); Under

Game 361-362: Utah State at New Mexico (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Utah State 91.030; New Mexico 77.448 Dunkel Line: Utah State by 13 1/2; 70 Vegas Line: Utah State by 17 1/2; No Total Dunkel Pick: New Mexico (+17 1/2); N/A

Game 363-364: Florida at Missouri (12:21 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Florida 102.727; Missouri 96.732 Dunkel Line: Florida by 6; 40 Vegas Line: Florida by 3; 44 Dunkel Pick: Florida (-3); Under

Game 365-366: LSU at Mississippi (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LSU 105.097; Mississippi 101.600 Dunkel Line: LSU by 3 1/2; 66 Vegas Line: LSU by 8 1/2; 60 Dunkel Pick: Mississippi (+8 1/2); Over

Game 367-368: BYU at Houston (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: BYU 95.645; Houston 92.428 Dunkel Line: BYU by 3; 67 Vegas Line: BYU by 10; 62 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+10); Over

Game 369-370: Massachusetts at Buffalo (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Massachusetts 62.649; Buffalo 86.342 Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 23 1/2; 42 Vegas Line: Buffalo by 20 1/2; 47 Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-20 1/2); Under

Game 371-372: Georgia State at Texas State (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Georgia State 59.183; Texas State 72.234 Dunkel Line: Texas State by 13; 54 Vegas Line: Texas State by 17; 49 Dunkel Pick: Georgia State (+17); Over

Game 373-374: Akron at Miami (OH) (1:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Akron 73.113; Miami (OH) 61.575 Dunkel Line: Akron by 11 1/2; 40 Vegas Line: Akron by 7; 44 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Akron (-7); Under

Game 375-376: Iowa State at Baylor (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Iowa State 83.461; Baylor 119.941 Dunkel Line: Baylor by 36 1/2; 80 Vegas Line: Baylor by 32 1/2; 75 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-32 1/2); Over

Game 377-378: Oklahoma at Kansas (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma 97.409; Kansas 79.074 Dunkel Line: Oklahoma by 18 1/2; 45 Vegas Line: Oklahoma by 23 1/2; 49 Dunkel Pick: Kansas (+23 1/2); Under

Game 379-380: TCU at Oklahoma State (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: TCU 97.260; Oklahoma State 99.414 Dunkel Line: Oklahoma State by 2; 46 Vegas Line: Oklahoma State by 7 1/2; 50 1/2 Dunkel Pick: TCU (+7 1/2); Under

Game 381-382: UCLA at Stanford (3:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UCLA 104.830; Stanford 113.603 Dunkel Line: Stanford by 9; 58 Vegas Line: Stanford by 6; 54 Dunkel Pick: Stanford (-6); Over

Game 383-384: USC at Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: USC 95.055; Notre Dame 95.129 Dunkel Line: Even; 46 Vegas Line: Notre Dame by 3; 50 1/2 Dunkel Pick: USC (+3); Under

Game 385-386: Rice at New Mexico State (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Rice 82.465; New Mexico State 55.039 Dunkel Line: Rice by 27 1/2; 63 Vegas Line: Rice by 17 1/2; 58 Dunkel Pick: Rice (-17 1/2); Over

Game 387-388: Nevada at Boise State (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Nevada 74.924; Boise State 101.271 Dunkel Line: Boise State by 26 1/2; 72 Vegas Line: Boise State by 22; 67 Dunkel Pick: Boise State (-22); Over

Game 389-390: Wisconsin at Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Wisconsin 106.404; Illinois 90.612 Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 16; 51 Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 13; 55 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (-13); Under

Game 391-392: Georgia at Vanderbilt (12:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Georgia 97.183; Vanderbilt 93.692 Dunkel Line: Georgia by 3 1/2; 66 Vegas Line: Georgia by 7 1/2; 61 Dunkel Pick: Vanderbilt (+7 1/2); Over

Game 393-394: Utah at Arizona (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Utah 96.799; Arizona 102.597 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 7; 54 Vegas Line: Arizona by 4; 58 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-4); Under

Game 395-396: UNLV at Fresno State (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UNLV 74.422; Fresno State 91.148 Dunkel Line: Fresno State by 16 1/2; 77 Vegas Line: Fresno State by 24 1/2; 73 Dunkel Pick: UNLV (+24 1/2); Over

OTHER MAJOR GAMES: Time Posted: 9:00 p.m. EST (10/16)

Game 431-432: Old Dominion at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Old Dominion 73.974; Pittsburgh 90.719 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 16 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 433-434: Charleston Southern at Colorado (2:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Charleston Southern 53.587; Colorado 74.431 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 21 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Phil Steele best bets:

SMU - UPSET POW
HOUSTON BEST BET: BYU 28 HOUSTON 27
OREGON ST BEST BET: OREGON ST 44 CALIFORNIA 24
GEORGIA BEST BET: GEORGIA 41 VANDERBILT 28
ARIZONA BEST BET: ARIZONA 34 UTAH 24

High Scoring POW
MICHIGAN 44 INDIANA 37

Note: He also has WVU, Missouri and USC winning outright.