12-8-13

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WINNING POINTS

PRO BASKETBALL

*New York over Boston by 4
The rebuilding Celtics don't score much and commit lots of turnovers. But they also
have proven streaky, covering three of their last four road games. New York was 1-4
ATS the first five times it has been chalk this season.
NEW YORK 98-94.

Miami over *Detroit by 10
Throw out the first seven games when the Heat went just 4-3 and Miami has been on
fire defensively shaving off nearly 10 points a game since then. The Heat were on a
9-0 SU, 7-2 ATS streak through last Sunday with LeBron James averaging better than
27 points a game while shooting better than 60 percent from the floor during the
streak.
MIAMI 101-91.

***BEST BET
*Oklahoma City over Indiana by 15
Horrible spot for the Pacers, who had to play at San Antonio last night. Until their
current road trip, the Pacers had played an easy schedule. When these teams last met
– back last April at Indiana – the Thunder destroyed the Pacers winning, 97-75. Kevin
Durant was leading the league in scoring heading into this month.
OKLAHOMA CITY 98-83.

*Houston over Orlando by 10
Glen Davis is back and Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo are playing better, but
Houston had covered the past seven times it has been favored through last Sunday.
HOUSTON 111-101.

*Los Angeles Lakers over Toronto by 7
Kobe Bryant (check status) may be back. But thanks to a resurgent Pau Gasol, the
Lakers have picked up their offensive pace scoring at least 99 points in eight of their
last 10 games through last Saturday. The Raptors have dropped 10 in a row on the
road to the Lakers.
LA LAKERS 103-96.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

R.A.W. FOOTBALL - SUNDAY

4* BEST BET = SAN FRANCISCO
3* = PITTSBURGH
3* = NEW ORLEANS
2* = N.Y. JETS
2* = CHICAGO (Monday night)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Brandon Lovell

Blank Check
San Francisco 49ers -2.5 over Seattle Seahawks

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ROBERT FERRINGO

SUNDAY NFL SELECTIONS

6-Unit Play. Take #144 Philadelphia (-2.5) over Detroit (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
Note: This is our NFL Game of the Month.
I am not at all impressed by Detroit. I think that the Lions are vastly overrated and I think that they will find a way to bumble away this game. I am not giving the Lions any credit for their Thanksgiving win. That Green Bay team is awful, the Lions were at home, and they actually trailed early in that game. Prior to that the Lions had dumped back-to-back games to sub-.500 teams, Tampa and Pittsburgh, and they eked out wins over Chicago and Dallas before that. So, really, the only two solid wins they have had since the end of September have come against the Browns (and they were outgained) and the Packers (who are awful). Philadelphia is hot. They have serious momentum after four straight wins. Their only losses since the end of September were tough divisional battles, which are always savage in the East. They really dominated that game against the Cardinals last week - a team I think is better than the Lions - and the fact that they didn't cover the spread was ridiculous; the result of an evil touch from the Gambling Gods after a fluke defensive penalty robbed the Eagles of a front door field goal. Philadelphia is just on a roll right now. I think the weather - which is going to be awful - will work in their favor. Detroit is a dome team and they are not used to playing outdoors in cold weather in December. They have lost in Green Bay each of the last two Decembers and I don't think it is going to go well for them this time around.

3-Unit Play. Take #140 Cincinnati (-6) over Indianapolis (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

2-Unit Play. Take #154 San Diego (-3) over New York Giants (4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

2-Unit Play. Take #156 San Francisco (-2.5) over Seattle (4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

1-Unit Play. Take #131 Kansas City (-3) over Washington (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

1-Unit Play. Take #147 Buffalo (+2.5) over Tampa Bay (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

1-Unit Play. Take #142 New Orleans (-3) over Carolina (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

This Week's Totals

2-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 42.5 - Buffalo at Tampa Bay (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

2-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 47.0 - New York Giants at San Diego (4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

2-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 54.0 - Detroit at Philadelphia (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

1-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 44.5 - Kansas City at Washington (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

1-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 49.5 - Tennessee at Denver (4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DOC SPORTS

4 Unit Play. #142 Take New Orleans Saints -3 over Carolina Panthers (Sunday 8:30 pm NBC) First place in the NFC South is on the line when the Panthers and Saints meet for the first of two meetings in 2013. New Orleans quit last week against Seattle, but as we all know this is a much different team when playing at the Superdome. New Orleans is a perfect 6-0 at home this season, and New Orleans has the No. 3 ranked defense when you just average their home games. Coach Sean Payton has covered the spread in 17 of their last 19 games played at the Superdome. Carolina has won 8 games in a row, but six of those victories have come against teams with a losing record. New Orleans bounces back in a big way, and we will collect in the process as well.

4 Unit Play. #144 Take Philadelphia Eagles -2.5 over Detroit Lions (Sunday 1 pm Fox) A matchup of first-place teams takes place today at Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia has won four straight games, and QB Nick Foles has established himself as one of the best passers in the league this season. Detroit has already lost road games to Arizona, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh this season, and I believe that Philadelphia is better than all of those teams. Detroit is just 1-11 ATS when coming off a double-digit victory in a game that they also covered the spread. Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS the last 5 years during Week 14.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ALLEN EASTMAN

5-Unit Play. Take #155 Seattle (+2.5) over San Francisco (4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
This play is from the NFL 411 System.
I like the Seahawks in this one. They are the best team in the NFL right now. They are coming off a blowout win and they already dominated the 49ers once this year. The sharps pounded this spread when it was first released. That forced the books to come off the key number of three. I think that is important. Seattle won 42-13 in their meeting last December and then won 29-3 this year. They are 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings and have the upper hand in this series. They will get another win in this one and earn me a Game of the Week winner.

3-Unit Play. Take #142 New Orleans (-3) over Carolina (8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
This play is from the NFL 411 System.
The Saints will bounce back from their embarrassing Monday Night Football loss. They are back at home and angry about that performance. New Orleans is 21-6 ATS in their last 27 home games and they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in December. The Saints have also covered the spread four straight times when they play after a loss. Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the league. But they are underdogs for a reason. The books got this game right. Lay the points.

4-Unit Play. Take #131 Kansas City (-3) over Washington (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
I will go with the Chiefs in this one. Kansas City has lost three straight games. They need a win to turn this around. Two of the losses came against the Broncos. The Chiefs are unbeaten against NFC teams so far this year. Washington has lost four straight games and seven of 10. They have real problems on and off the field. The Redskins won't be able to move the ball easily against the tough Chiefs defense. Washington is 0-4 ATS in its last four games and I do not see them winning this one. Kansas City takes care of this one.

3-Unit Play. Take #137 Oakland (+2.5) over N.Y. Jets (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
I think that these two teams are pretty equal. My power rankings have the Raiders slightly ahead of the Jets. This spread is calling for money on the Jets. They are laying less than a field goal and are at home. But the Raiders had extra time to prepare since they played on Thursday. The Raiders are 3-1 ATS in their last four games and are 3-1 ATS in their last four road games. The jets have lost three straight. They are really struggling and I think that they should not be favored. Take the points and look for an outright win.

4-Unit Play. Take #140 Cincinnati (-6) over Indianapolis (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
I will take the home team in this game. The Bengals won a tough game last week in San Diego. Now they are back home. The Colts are off of a division win over Tennessee. They will struggle with the cold weather in Cincinnati. That will be a benefit for the Bengals defense. The home team has won four straight and seven of eight in this series. The Colts were blown out in their last time on the road and they are 0-2 in their last two road games against nondivisional opponents. Go with the home team here.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STRIKE POINT SPORTS

7-Unit Play. Take #140 Cincinnati (-6) over Indianapolis (1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8)
Cincy has destroyed the last two teams they have played at their home field and Indianapolis is not as good as they were at the beginning of the season. The Bengals are 5-0 at home this season with wins over Pittsburgh, New England, and Green bay on their resume. I am actually quite glad that the Colts came back to beat the Titans last weekend as it kept this line below a touchdown. Do I think this point is going to come in handy in this game? No, as I see the Bengals winning by double figures, but in gambling any point helps. With just a two game lead over the Baltimore Ravens and a three game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in their division the Bengals know that every game counts and that they cannot look ahead at any point this season. This Colts team just isn't as good without Reggie Wayne and they won't be able to move the ball well versus one of the better defenses in the NFL. There is also news of bad weather in Cincinnati which doesn't help the Colts, as their running game isn't that solid, 20th in the NFL, and they are going up against the 8th best rush defense in the league. The Colts being without Wayne in bad weather simplifies their offense to an extreme that just won't get the job done. The Bengals meanwhile have a dynamic playmaker, in AJ Green, who can get open in any kind of weather, and a running game that has rushed for nearly 400 yards in their last three games. A huge stat to keep an eye on in this contest is time of possession. If a team can move the chains in bad weather they typically win and cover. The Bengals are 5th in the NFL in time of possession at nearly 33 minutes per game, while the Colts are 31st in the NFL at under 28 minutes per game. Indianapolis is just 1-4 ATS in their last five road games versus a team with a winning home record, while the Bengals are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between the two teams and in this contest the favorite is just a better team. I know that the record suggests that both teams are 8-4 but the Colts are just 3-2 with wins over Houston and Tennessee (twice). When the Colts played against a team that is excellent at stopping the run (after the Wayne injury) they struggled. Arizona (4th versus the run) beat the Colts by 29 and St. Louis (15th versus the run) beat the Colts by 30. As we said before, Cincy is 8th versus the run and will easily cover this line. This has game has a 24-10 or 27-13 type feel all over it.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER

NFL FOOTBALL PLAYS

5 Unit Play. #142 Take New Orleans -3 over Carolina (8:30p.m., Sunday, Dec 8 NBC)
(Game of the Week)
NFC home advantage is big no matter what playoff team you are and Sunday night in New Orleans home field again will win another game. The Saints are coming off an embarrassing loss on Monday Night Football against the Seahawks so look for revenge tonight. Carolina has been winning games on defense but the fast track in the Dome in New Orleans will be too much to handle for the Panthers. The last 3 losses the Saints have tasted have all been on the road and at home the Saints are 6-0 SU but a nice 5-1 ATS. If the Saints can score first and put pressure on Cam Newton to keep up then I see New Orleans winning this game between 4-7 points. Should be a great game and both QB's will be the key but I see the Saints defense step up after taking a big punch Monday night against Seahawks. The Saints are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 home games.

2 Unit Play. #149 Take Over 49 - Tennessee at Denver (4:05p.m., Sunday, Dec 8)
Why not! The Broncos are averaging 38.7ppg and if Denver can rush the ball that will give Manning big passing lanes late in the game. Denver again will score at will and again a Bronco game will go over. Tennessee is 6-0 O/U after scoring less than 15 points in their last game and the Broncos are 22-7-1 O/U in their last 30 home games. The last 5 meetings between these two teams 4 of them have gone over the total.

3 Unit Play. #156 Take San Francisco -2.5 over Seattle (4:25p.m., Sunday, Dec 8)
September 15 of this year the Seahawks slapped the 49ers in Seattle beating them 29-3 so revenge will be on the minds of the 49ers. The 49ers have been an up/down team all season long but when they play well they are a tough out and Sunday late afternoon the 49ers get this game at home. Seattle is coming off a short week and the 49ers are coming off a home win over St. Louis and if the 49ers can get pressure on Russell Wilson I could see a big blowout win for the home team. I don't like the words 'must win' but if you are the 49ers and you lose this game at home that could hurt team morale then anything else. The home team is 7-2 ATS in this matchup and the 49ers are 7-1 ATS after allowing less than 15pts in their last game.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Psychic
5* Browns+10.5
4* Seahawks+2.5

Wizard
10* Packers-3
10* Saints-3
10* Colts+7
12* Saints ov 46.5
15* Bills+2.5
12* Thunder-4

JT Walker
VA Tech+6

Kenny Nguyen
50* Dolphins+3.5

Totals4U
70% Bills ov 41.5

Iceman
Panthers (nhl)

Genius
5* Lakers-5.5
3* Celtics+5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

4_seasons
ncaab
ole miss -1 (pod)
george washington +3
usc -1.5
rutgers -2

nfl
arizona -6
san fransico -2.5
new orleans -3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Norms Late plays
VERY STRONG:
Detroit +3 Philly

STRONG:
No Plays

REGULAR PLAYS:
Buffalo +2 1/2 Tampa Bay
KC -3 Washington
Baltimore -6 1/2 Minnesota
Green Bay -3 Atlanta
Tennessee +11 1/2 Denver
San Francisco -2 1/2 Seattle


NORM'S LATE THOUGHTS:

We got a but lucky yesterday when Marshall scored a late, otherwise meaningless TD to put that game OVER the total. But we'll take it. Today two teams totally out of the playoff picture square off in Tampa when the Bills visit the Bucs. Both have rookie QB's that they're trying to mature as quickly as possible with an eye to improving in 2014. That leads me to believe each will "sling it around" today hoping Glennon and Manuel can make plays and gain confidence. So:


Take Buffalo--Tampa Bay OVER 42

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Power Play Wins
NFL S.F. -2.5

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From This Week's FOOTBALL BEST BETS
STATFOX BRIAN

CAROLINA (141) AT NEW ORLEANS (142)
Latest Line: New Orleans -3.0; Total: 46.0

I've learned to ride Drew Brees in primetime games at home, as the Saints signal caller is a perfect 10-0 (SU and ATS) in such situations since 2010, completing 73.4 percent of his throws for 3,293 yards, 33 TD and 4 INT. More importantly, the Saints have won these games by an average score of 37 to 15. But Brees and New Orleans don't just dominate in nationally televised games, as they pretty much own whoever comes to the Big Easy. Since the start of 2011, the Saints are 8-1 ATS (89 percent) at home coming off a road loss, and 12-2 ATS (86 percent) as a home favorite of seven points or less. They have outgained visitors by 179 yards per game at the Superdome this year, winning their six home games by an average score of 33 to 16. The Panthers have had a nice run, but their 8-game win streak will end with a thud on Sunday night.
PLAY ON: New Orleans

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bob Balfe

Sunday NFL Comp Pick

Ravens -6 over Vikings

The Vikings have the best running back in the game, but the Ravens are equipped to stop the run and this weather is not ideal for a dome team with a backup quarterback. Baltimore is one of the tougher places to play in the league and I just can’t see a team like Minnesota winning such an important game for the Ravens. Baltimore has a great field goal kicker that really can kick in these conditions. If Baltimore could get their running game going they would become a major threat. Take the Ravens.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Investment Group NFL Total Play

OVER 47 Cleveland and New England 1:00 EST