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Brigham Young hosts Boise State Friday night
by Freddy Wander
Kickoff: Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: BYU -7, Total: 62.5
Two red-hot teams meet on Friday night when Boise State travels to BYU with each school trying to cool down the other one and move to 6-2.
With both teams riding winning streaks (three games for Boise State, four games for BYU) and coming off offensive explosions (557 yards for Boise State, 681 yards for BYU) this should be an exciting matchup. The Broncos are coming off a 34-17 win over conference foe Nevada, and have now scored 102 points (34.0 PPG) combined during their winning streak (Southern Miss, Utah State, Nevada). The Cougars have one-upped Boise State recently with a winning streak of four games (MTSU, Utah State, Georgia Tech, Houston) in which they have scored 153 points (38.3 PPG). With all this offense, it is surprising that when these two teams met last season the score was 7-6, with Boise State coming out ahead when the Cougars missed a 2-point conversion late in the game. Besides that contest, these two programs have met only three times since 1992, with the Broncos winning all three SU (1-2 ATS). Boise State will be missing star QB Joe Southwick, who broke his ankle early in the first quarter against Nevada, and he will be replaced by Grant Hedrick.
With Joe Southwick out for the game, QB Grant Hedrick will replace him and attempt to take the Broncos to victory. Hedrick had only 16 attempts before their last game but did complete 12 of them. His real threat is his ability to run. So far this season, Hedrick has rushed for 192 yards on just 15 carries (12.8 YPC) including rumbling for 115 yards (14.4 YPC) and two touchdowns after replacing Southwick against Nevada. He also added 150 yards on 18-of-21 passing in that game, but did throw an interception. With an emphasis most likely being even more on the running this week, HB Jay Ajayi will try to pad his already spectacular numbers. Ajayi ranks 16th in the nation with 766 rushing yards (5.7 YPC) and is tied for the FBS lead in touchdowns scored with Arizona State's Marion Grice (12 TD). The Broncos do not attempt to stretch the field too often with their passing attack, averaging only 10.4 yards per catch, instead they pick away and wear down opposing defenses. Both WR Matt Miller (454 receiving yards) and WR Shane Williams-Rhodes (396 receiving yards) have caught more than 42 balls this year. The Broncos defense has been stellar in its five wins (16.2 PPG allowed) but has given up an average of 39.0 PPG in their losses to Washington and Fresno State.
BYU put up a season-high 681 total yards against Houston in a 47-46 shootout and they may need to have a similar output in order to defeat Boise State. The Cougars have averaged 503 total YPG this season and can thank their 14th-ranked rushing attack (263 YPG) for much of that. Both QB Taysom Hill (772 rush yards, 6.2 YPC, 7 TD) and HB Jamaal Williams (626 rush yards, 5.0 YPC, 3 TD) have run the ball 124 times this season. Hill is coming off his third 120-yard rushing performance of the season and no one can forget his 259 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars 40-21 victory over Texas in the second week of the season. Hill has also thrown the ball quite a bit, with 1,680 yards passing and nine touchdowns on the season. His one big downside is his eight interceptions, with at least one thrown in 6-of-7 games this year, including three last week at Houston. WR Cody Hoffman has been Hill’s main target this year with 467 receiving yards on 25 catches (18.7 avg.) and two touchdowns. Hoffman had his best game of the year so far in last week’s win, where he caught seven balls for 156 yards and a score. Before giving up 46 points last week, the Cougars were allowing only 17.3 PPG on average to their opposition. -
Boise State at BYU What Bettors Need to Know
Boise State Broncos at Brigham Young Cougars (-7.5, 61.5)
Two of the hottest teams in the FBS meet up Friday night when the Boise State Broncos visit the Brigham Young Cougars. Boise State is off to a blistering start atop the Mountain West's West Division on the strength of a three-game winning streak. But the Broncos will have their hands full against a BYU squad that has won four consecutive games, including a thrilling 47-46 slugfest against the host Houston Cougars last Saturday.
Few teams in the nation boast the offensive firepower of Boise State, which has overcome a one-sided loss to host Washington in its season opener to average better than 45 points over its last six games. Led by a top-25 rush attack, the Broncos should expect to meet their match as they tangle with a Cougars defense limiting opponents to just over 21 points per game. Defense ruled the day in their last encounter, a 7-6 Boise State win back on Sept. 20, 2012.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
LINE: BYU has held steady as a 7.5-point favorite, with the O/U falling slightly from 62.5 to 61.5.
WEATHER: Temperatures at LaVell Edwards Stadium will be in the low-60s with sunny skies and wind blowing diagonally out of the northeast at 5 mph.
ABOUT BOISE STATE (5-2, 3-1 Mountain West, 4-3 ATS): The Broncos roll into Provo, Utah without starting quarterback Joe Southwick. The senior standout suffered a broken ankle in last week's 34-17 home victory over Nevada, leaving the offense in the hands of backup Grant Hedrick. The junior hasn't played a full game since his senior year of high school but is excited for the opportunity to take the reins, telling the Idaho Statesman: "I've been preparing for this for four years." Hedrick went 18-for-21 for 150 yards and added eight carries for 115 yards and two scores versus Nevada.
ABOUT BYU (5-2, 4-3 ATS): The Cougars find themselves in a difficult position, facing just six days between games and still recovering from last week's four-hour, seven-minute marathon win over Houston. BYU surrendered 483 yards in that one, but head coach Bronco Mendenhall said afterward he was proud of how his team buckled down after allowing 34 first-half points. "(Houston) got four giant plays in the first half," he told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Every one of them was an assignment mistake or an execution mistake ... and then, man, I thought (the defense) played pretty well in the second half."
TRENDS
* Boise State is 25-9 ATS in its last 34 road games.
* BYU is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games against the Mountain West.
* Over is 8-1 in the Broncos' last nine games following an ATS loss.
* Under is 12-3-1 in the Cougars' previous 16 Friday games.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Southwick underwent ankle surgery Monday afternoon, and the Broncos are optimistic he'll be able to return before season's end.
2. Boise State RB Jay Ajayi leads the conference with 12 rushing touchdowns and is second in yards with 766.
3. BYU QB Taysom Hill has thrown eight touchdown passes in his last three games after recording just one passing TD in his first four outings.Comment
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Eskimos at Lions: What bettors need to know
Edmonton Eskimos at BC Lions (-7, 51)
Three straight losses without quarterback Travis Lulay have knocked the BC Lions out of contention to host a playoff game. Lulay remains day-to-day with a shoulder injury, meaning the Lions will likely start Thomas DeMarco when they host the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday. DeMarco is completing just 55 percent of his passes and has thrown eight interceptions over the last three games, and will need to be a lot better if Lulay can’t return in time for the West Semifinal.
The Eskimos have lost four in a row and remain winless against West Division opponents, going 0-8. Edmonton has managed just 22 points over its last two games, overshadowing what has been a solid debut season at starting quarterback for Mike Reilly. Reilly has completed 60.1 percent of his passes with 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions despite being sacked 53 times while also leading the Eskimos in rushing with 624 yards, and should reach 4,000 passing yards against BC.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (3-13): Slotback Fred Stamps, who leads the league with 1,259 receiving yards, is 143 away from tying his career high and has a career-best 11 touchdowns. Linebacker Rennie Curran had another strong game last week, leading the team with eight tackles. Curran, named CFL Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago, is rising to the occasion while linebacker J.C. Sherritt is sidelined with a broken thumb.
ABOUT THE LIONS (9-7): Even without Lulay, slotback Nick Moore reached 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his career after emerging as the top option in the BC receiving corps. The Lions' defense runs through linebacker Adam Bighill, who leads the team with 84 tackles and eight sacks. Kick returner Tim Brown leads the league with 1,901 combined return yards.
TRENDS:
* Eskimos are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings in BC.
* Eskimos are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. West.
* Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last six Friday games.
* Under is 4-1 in Lions last five home games.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Reilly will have his hands full trying to figure out the BC defense, which has limited opponents to a league-low 243.8 passing yards per game.
2. Eskimos DE Marcus Howard leads the team with 10 sacks.
3. The Lions are 6-1 at home.Comment
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StatFox Super Situations™ - FoxSheets
CFB BOISE ST at BYU
Play Under - Any team against the total in a game involving two good teams (outgaining opponents by 0.6 to 1.2 YPP) after 7+ games, in non-conference games
46-18 over the last 10 seasons. ( 71.9% 26.2 units )Comment
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UFC Fight Night 30 betting: Machida's defense key vs. Munoz
By MMAODDSBREAKER
Adam Martin writes for MMAOddsbreaker.com. Follow him on Twitter @MMAdamMartin.
UFC Fight Night 30: Lyoto Machida (-360) vs. Mark Munoz (+300)
Lyoto Machida (19-4), the former UFC light heavyweight champion, will be making his long-awaited middleweight debut against Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 30 this Saturday.
The 35-year-old Brazilian is one of the most technical and dangerous strikers in the sport of mixed martial arts, someone capable of pulling off some of the craziest strikes ever seen in the sport.
At UFC 129 against Randy Couture, Machida landed the first crane-kick KO in UFC history to earn himself a crack at UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones to regain the belt he lost to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113. And while he did lost to Jones at UFC 140, he put up a good fight and was thought to be in line for another title shot after picking up wins over Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson.
However, UFC asked him to take another fight, and he ended up losing the gamble as he lost a controversial decision to Phil Davis at UFC 163.
After losing the fight to Davis, UFC asked Machida to move down to 185 and he accepted the offer. He was set to fight Tim Kennedy at UFC Fight Night 31, but after Michael Bisping pulled out of UFC Fight Night 30, the UFC decided to put Machida up against Bisping’s original opponent Munoz.
Munoz (13-3) is one of the top middleweight fighters in the division, having only lost to top-ten ranked Chris Weidman and Yushin Okami.
The 35-year-old is an exceptional wrestler, and he showed at UFC 162 against Tim Boetsch that when his body and mind are fully in synch, he is a force to be reckoned with. And that was one of the issues that Munoz was having heading into UFC 162, as he battled a nasty depression that led him to gain an extraordinary amount of weight after being KO'd by Weidman at UFC on FUEL TV 4.
But it was clear against Boetsch that Munoz has put those problems behind him and is ready to move on with his career.
Against Machida, Munoz has an opportunity to atone for losing to Weidman, but it’s a tough match-up. Although Munoz has very good wrestling, Machida is fantastic at stopping takedowns and if Munoz can’t get the fight to the mat, he’s going to be at a significant disadvantage on the feet.
We’ll see what happens this weekend, but based on everything I know, I don’t like Munoz’s chances in this one.Comment
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NHL
Hot teams
-- Pittsburgh won seven of its first nine games.
-- Columbus won its first two games, 4-1/3-1. Toronto won six of its first nine games.
-- Senators won three of their last four games.
-- Blues won five of their last seven games. Vancouver won four of its last six.
-- Colorado won eight of its first nine games. Carolina won three of its last four road games.
Cold teams
-- Islanders lost five of their last six games.
-- Ducks lost their last two games, 4-1/4-2.
-- Sabres lost three in row, nine of their last ten games. Florida lost seven of last nine.
Series records
-- Islanders lost eight of last ten vs Pittsburgh; they lost in six to Pens in LY's playoffs.
-- Road team won five of last six Columbus-Toronto games.
-- Ducks won their last three games with Anaheim: 2-1/2-1/4-1.
-- Sabres lost three of last four games with Florida; four of last five in series went OT/SO.
-- Canucks lost three of last four visits to St Louis.
-- Avalanche won four of last six games with Carolina.
Totals
-- Three of last four Islander games went over the total; three of last four Penguin games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Anaheim-Ottawa games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Buffalo games went over the total.
-- Under is 10-1-1 in last twelve St Louis-Vancouver games. Five of last seven St Louis games this season went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Carolina games stayed under the total.Comment
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ChicagoSportsConnection .................................................. ..............................................STRA IGHT BET Oct 25 NHL [6] OTT SENATORS -125
OTT playing only their 4th game in 9 calendar days....
DUCKS playing their 6th in 9 calendar days...also playing their 3rd game in 4 days.
Tired legs will be a factor
OTT has been in most of their games... a few one-goal-losses.
DUCKS only lost 2 so far but have had mostly 0ne-goal-wins.
Taking the rested home team.Comment
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LA Syndicate - BYU -6.5 (-120)Comment
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Jeffrey James (YouWinNow)
Toronto Maple Leafs moneyline +105 (7:05 edt)
Seriously??? Toronto is an underdog here??? That makes absolutely no sense to me. The Leafs are off to a very good start and they beat the red hot Ducks in their last game. Columbus may be off of 2 consecutive wins but one of them was against the Devils which does not really count anyway. Take the Leafs to get this win here at this unbelievable dog price.Comment
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Hockey Crusher
Columbus Blue Jackets -123 over Toronto Maple Leafs
(System Record: 11-0, won last 6 games)
Overall Record: 11-4
Basketball Crusher
Indiana Pacers +3 over Dallas Mavericks
(System Record: 3-0)
Overall Record: 3-0
Soccer Crusher
Boca Juniors + Colon OVER 2
This match is happening in Argentina
(System Record: 474-17, lost last 2 games)
Overall Record: 474-408-65Comment
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Today's NHL Picks
Anaheim at Ottawa
The Ducks look to bounce back from last night's 4-1 loss to Montreal and build on their 4-0 record in their last 4 games when playing on 0 days rest. Anaheim is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Ducks favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+105). Here are all of today's picks.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
Time Posted 7:30 a.m. ESTGame 1-2: NY Islanders at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.693; Pittsburgh 10.737
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+170); OverGame 3-4: Toronto at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 10.793; Columbus 12.382
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Columbus (-125); UnderGame 5-6: Anaheim at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 12.075; Ottawa 11.018
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (+105); OverGame 7-8: Buffalo at Florida (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 10.153; Florida 11.640
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-145); 5
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-145); UnderGame 9-10: Vancouver at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.135; St. Louis 12.676
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/AGame 11-12: Carolina at Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.922; Colorado 11.087
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+160); OverComment
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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
Our Free Plays are 1115-842 over the last 5 1/2 years !
Free winner FRI Ottawa Senators -120Comment
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Cappers Access
BYU -6.5Comment
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