11-22-14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Norm Hitzges

COLLEGE FOOTBALL


TRIPLE PLAY: Baylor -28 1/2 Oklahoma St.

DOUBLE PLAY: Louisville +3 Notre Dame


SINGLE PLAYS

Virginia +5 1/2 Miami Fla.
E. Michigan +17 Ball St.
Michigan State -22 Rutgers
Vandy +30 1/2 Miss. State
Boston College +17 Florida State
Penn State -6 1/2 Illinois
UAB +20 Marshall
La. Tech -12 Old Dominion
Cal +5 1/2 Stanford
U La La -10 App. State
Iowa State -1 1/2 Texas Tech

[Can'tPickAWinner]

WAYNE ROOT "TRUST"

Millionaires---UCLA
No Limit---Nebraska
___________________
Perfect Play---Tennessee
WOW! A rare Wayne Allyn Root favorite is set for this contest between Missouri and Tennessee. Missouri is 5-1 and on top of the SEC East. While they're probably not going to find a playoff spot they will definitely find a favorable bowl appearance and the respect of the SEC. So why is Missouri not the favorite? They seem to play well on the road. They just defeated Texas A&M on the road last week. This selection is the type I've made a fortune on. It's Contrarian thinking. Tennessee is 4-1 ATS their last 5 games. The pressure of the SEC road gets narrower as the season winds down. The game film on this relatively new member is more fine tuned. The Oddsmakers are begging you to play the Tigers. Let me "volunteer" some info: TAKE TENNESSEE
_____________________________________
Inner Circle--UCONN + **Big East Underdog of Month
The UConn Huskies will host the Bearcats for this American Conference match-up. The Cincinnati
Bearcats defense might be one of the worst in College Football. Laying points on the road without a defense can turn this into an undisciplined high scoring affair. And that's if the Huskies fail in their own defensive efforts. But what if UConn was to play "D" and the offense matched the Bearcats point for point but on a much slower scale. I think both teams will play in the mid twenties and the plus points will factor in the mix from the kickoff. The home team is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games played. A few weeks ago, UConn had a huge upset vs. UCF and this is the same type of contest. TAKE UCONN
____________________________________________
Pinnacle--Iowa + ***Big Ten Game of Year
The game Wisconsin vs Iowa is set to be played at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has faced some difficulties in a stacked Big 10 conference this year. But thanks to a cohesive team, the Hawkeyes are 7-3. Wisconsin is 8-2 but still has to focus on improving on the fundamentals and limiting the points that they cede going forward. Melvin Gordon has been an invaluable asset for the Badgers. He actually set an FBS record for rushing yards in a single game. Against Nebraska, he ran for a total of 408 yards. This has added some much needed depth to the running corps for the Badgers. This has put him in the conversation for the Heisman trophy at the end of the season. Love playing against teams that are coming off their most impressive wins on season and then having to travel away from home in next outing. Wisconsin has heard for a week now how great they were last week and that can only mean one thing; let down spot this week. Beating Iowa on the road is near impossible and is not easy to do. The Hawkeyes defense make this an ugly slug it out type of game. Don't expect a ton of scoring as defense is name of game in this one. TAKE IOWA

[Can'tPickAWinner]

King Creole


2** BEST BET

Marshall / UAB OVER THE TOTAL 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mark Lawrence

Late Telephone Selections:


10* - 205 – USC (+4)

4* - 126 – Virginia (+6)
3* - 172 – Arkansas (+3.5)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Point Train

NCAAF

9* Michigan
4* Az St
4* Nevada
3* Virginia

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gold Medal Club

NCAAF

158 Iowa +10.5
207 Fresno State +7

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Sports Insights
NCAAF Best Bets 58-44 +8.66 units


Game Time (ET)

Play

Best Line

11/21 9:30 PM 120 Play on SDSU -4-110
11/22 7:00 PM 126 Play on UVA Under 49.5-110
11/22 3:30 PM 182 Play on NO-TX Under 48-110
11/22 7:00 PM 198 Play on MIDTN -7-110
11/22 10:30 PM 207 Play on FRES Over 60-110

[Can'tPickAWinner]

BEN BURNS

FOOTBALL

BREAKFAST CLUB - central michigsn
SHOCKER - oklahoma st
BEST BET - arizona
PERSONAL FAVORITE - notre dame
MAIN EVENT - ucla

NHL

San Jose Sharks

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Football Crusher

Play of the Day
Illinois +6.5 over Penn St

Rest of the Plays
Northwestern PK over Purdue
Maryland +5 over Michigan
Wyoming +12 over Boise St

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Hockey Crusher

Play of the Day
Tampa Bay Lightning -133 over Minnesota Wild

Rest of the Plays
Ottawa Senators +121 over St. Louis Blues
Dallas Stars +100 over LA Kings
NY Islanders +106 over Pittsburgh Penguins

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Basketball Crusher

Play of the Day
Phoenix Suns PK over Indiana Pacers

Rest of the Plays
Milwaukee Bucks +2 over Washington Wizards
Providence +1.5 over Florida St
Massachusetts +3.5 over Notre Dame

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Soccer Crusher

Atletico Rafaela + San Lorenzo UNDER 2.5
This match is happening in Argentina

[Can'tPickAWinner]

ALLEN EASTMAN (CFB)

3-Unit Play. Take #111 Kansas State (+2.5) over West Virginia (7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20)

Big game in the Big 12 tonight. Kansas State is tied with TCU and Baylor at the top of the Big 12 and they are No. 11 in the country. They need to win this game to keep any hope of winning the league title. Bill Snyder has had two weeks to prepare for this game and I think he will have another great game plan. WVU had lost two straight games before their bye. They have been good at home but lost to TCU in Morgantown already this year. Kansas State has wins at Iowa State and at Oklahoma this season and Snyder’s teams are always great in the underdog role. Kansas State is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games and I like them off the bye. That is a big advantage late in the season. You will notice this week a lot of my bets are on teams that are coming off a bye week. WVU was also off last Saturday. But that has not been an edge for them. The Mountaineers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games after a week of rest. The Wildcats are 36-15 ATS in Big 12 games and 12-5 ATS on the road. They are 15-3 ATS after a loss and they will get the cash tonight. Take K-State.

3-Unit Play. Take #122 Utah State (-13.5) over San Jose State (9:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21)

I like the home team in this game. Utah State has one of the best defenses in the country. They will be able to shut down this weak San Jose attack. The Spartans just lost their starting quarterback and they don’t have anyone with any experience to turn to. That is going to hurt them even more up against this Aggies D. Utah State has run through two backup quarterbacks this year! No one in the country has had worse injury luck at the quarterback position. But they haven’t stopped winning. Utah State is a perfect 5-0 SU at home. The Aggies have won four straight games and they wil keep that momentum going. This is a prime time game for them and they are 7-1 ATS the last eight times they have played under the Friday lights. Utah State is 12-5 ATS in Mountain West games and the visiting Spartans are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games. Utah State is 4-1 ATS in this series and they will win and cover easily here.

4-Unit Play. Take #134 Michigan State (-22) over Rutgers (Noon, Saturday, Nov. 22)

The Spartans bounced right back after their heartbreaking loss to Ohio State with a blowout win at Maryland last week. That was very impressive. Mark Dantonio is one of the best coaches around and will have his guys ready again this week. Sparty is still No. 9 in the country. They have an outside shot at winning the Big Ten and have an outside shot of sneaking into the Final Four playoff. They need to keep winning and to get some help. This is their final home game and they will want to win this one going away. Rutgers had not been close to the top teams in the Big 10. They lost to Wisconsin, Nebraska and Ohio State all by blowout and only stayed within three touchdowns of the Cornhuskers. The Scarlet Knights are bowl eligible after their win over Indiana last week so they are satisfied. Michigan State is more motivated and they will add another blowout to Rutgers’ resume.

3-Unit Play. Take #137 Vanderbilt (+30.5) over Mississippi State (7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

There are not a lot of handicappers in the country that have the guts to make this pick. But I do! Mississippi State is coming off a heartbreaking loss at Alabama last week. They worked so hard to get to No. 1 in the country and now that’s over. Everyone expects them to bounce right back and to blowout Vanderbilt. But I think the Bulldogs are still thinking about last week’s loss. And if they are not they are looking ahead to next week’s big rivalry game at Ole Miss. Vanderbilt has played much better lately. They are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall and this team is 5-0 ATS in its last six SEC road games. They have not lost by more than 30 points since the Mississippi game back in the first week of September. I think the Commodores will make this number good. Take the points.

4-Unit Play. Take #174 Baylor (-28.5) over Oklahoma State (7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

Oklahoma State has had its season go down hill in a hurry. They have lost four straight games and have been blown out in all four of them. They lost at home by 21 points to Texas last week. I don’t see how this team can keep up with Baylor. The Bears have had two weeks to prepare and they are coming off a bye. They have revenge for a bad 49-17 loss in Stillwater last week. Oklahoma State is 0-5 ATS in its last five games and 0-7 ATS in its last seven games against teams that are above .500. Oklahoma State is also 0-4 ATS on the road and the home team is 4-0 ATS in this series. The favorite is 8-2 ATS in this series and Baylor has a lot to play for. They need to win and win big to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. They won’t stop scoring in this one and I think they cover this spread with a 40-point win. Lastly, this is a big revenge game for the Bears as Oklahoma State’s upset win last year kept Baylor from going undefeated and possibly playing in the national title game. Lay the points.

3-Unit Play. Take #142 Michigan (-5) over Maryland (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

This is a big game for Michigan. If they lose this game they will be below .500 and would have to win against Ohio State to be bowl eligible. That makes this game crucial for the Wolverines. They have shown major signs of improvement over the last month and Michigan has won three of its last four after a slow start. Maryland is just an average team. They were blown out at home by Michigan State last week and now have to go on the road for the third road game in their last four weeks. That is a lot to ask. The Terps have been outgained by over 100 yards per game over their last eight games and I think they will struggle again to move the ball against Michigan’s defense. The Wolverines have held three of their last four opponents under two touchdowns. Michigan is coming off a bye week. They have had two weeks to prepare so they won’t look past the Terps to their big matchup with Ohio State. They have a big home field edge and everything points towards UM in this one.

3-Unit Play. Take #199 Cincinnati (-9.5) over Connecticut (8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

The Huskies are terrible! This is one of the weakest programs in football. The Huskies have nothing to play for and they will get blown out again in this game. Cincinnati has won four straight games and they are one of the hottest teams in their conference. They need to keep winning to keep a share of the AAC title in their sight. The Bearcats have won all four of their games during this streak by double figures and they will do so here too. Connecticut was blown out by Army in its last game and they have won just one time this year against teams in the FBS. Their other win was just a three-point win over Stony Brook. The Huskies are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games and the Bearcats are 5-2 ATS against losing teams. Cincinnati is too much. They will win this game by three touchdowns.

4-Unit Play. Take #196 Memphis (-19.5) over South Florida (4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

I am going to stay in the American Athletic Conference for another ticket. Memphis has the lead in this conference right now. They have just two games left and both of them are at home. If they win both they will win the league title and that is a huge goal for this program. The Tigers have only played four home games this year. Their last home game was a 20-point blowout over Tulsa and I think they will benefit from a legit home field advantage. This team hasn’t had that much support in past years. It will make a difference. It is supposed to be cold in Memphis this weekend and that will impact the kids from Florida. South Florida is just 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games in November and a big reason is they don’t like playing in cold weather. Memphis is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 November games. This spread opened at 17.5 and is being bet up. Jump on this one as soon as possible because it will keep going that way.

3-Unit Play. Take #179 Louisville (+3.5) over Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

The Irish had a promising season but now they have been have three losses and they are coming off a bad loss to Northwestern last week as a 17-point favorite. They have lost three of their last four games and the Irish are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games. People are questioning the coach and the coach is mad at the players and things are a mess. I think that Louisville is the much stronger team here. All three of their losses this year were in very close games at Virginia, at Clemson and versus Florida State. The Cards have one of the best defenses that the Irish have seen this season. And Notr eDame’s defense has been struggling mightily while giving up an average of 42 points per game in their last five games. I think that the Cardinals will pull the outright upset here and I think that Notre Dame’s season is going down the tubes.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STRIKE POINT SPORTS (CFB)

7-Unit Play. Take #140 Ohio State (-34.5) over Indiana (12:00 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

THE Ohio State University have battled in the Big 10 all season to the tune of a 9-1 record and a #6 Playoff ranking. They dismantled Michigan State two weeks ago and slugged its way to a W in the snow in Minnesota last week. Is #6 too high or too low? Not sure what the answer to that question is and the committee to decide the first Final 4 in college football history has a tough task ahead of them. One thing is certain and that is J.T. Barrett is a monster. This Kid had a ton of crap stakced up against him, Braxton Miller injury and the early loss to Va Tech, which could have made him take his ball and go home. He did the exact opposite and should be in the conversation for the Heisman trophy. Indiana has been pretty terrible most of the season and especially lately. The Hoosiers have lost 5 in a row and take out the squeaker loss against Penn St they have been in impressive fashion giving up 40 points per game. They do not stand much of a chance at all in this one and have no one the caliber of Barrett on either side of the ball. Indiana is 3-12-2 ATS in their last 17 conference games, and 0-4 ATS in their last four games versus teams with winning recrods. The Buckeyes have to make statements in a game like this and Urban Meyer will make sure they don’t look ahead to the Blood Rivalry next week. Ohio State should not and will not take their foot off the gas Saturday so this one could get ugly early as they are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games. Buckeyes big, 60-14.

4-Unit Play. Take #158 Iowa (+10) over Wisconsin (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

All Iowa has to do is win and they will ave a shot at a division title. That is such a simple thing to say. Just win. It’s a shame that they are playing team with a rushing defenses nightmare on it. Melvin Gordon’s name will punch you in the stomach. Even so if they win at home in this one and beat Nebraska next weekend, Assuming the huskers win this week, they will be in the title game. The Hawkeyes have a nice balance of pass and run with Jake Rudock under center accounting for 12 TDs and Mark Weisman running for 14 more. They are less concerned about offense and more worried about Gordon. Coach Ferentz has long been thought of as a top level leader and he should have the Hawks ready to at least make it difficult for Melvin. It is a long shot that Iowa comes away with a win but one things for sure they will make it difficult for the Badgers. Ferentz will not let his boys roll over so take Iowa and the points.

4-Unit Play. Take #128 Tennessee (-3.5) over Missouri (7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22)

The Vols have won 2 in a row to crawl back to .500. There were some expectations for Tennessee coming into this season and a win here would go a long way to meetings those goals. Joshua Dobbs is on the verge of getting the Vols to their first bowl since 2010. He has been running and passing like a man possessed in the last 3 games racking up almost 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mizzou is primed for a letdown after beating A & M last week to bring their record to 8-2 and putting them directly in the SEC title hunt. Maty Mauk and Russell Hansbrough make them go offensively and should find some success in Tennessee Saturday and yet they are still 3.5-point dogs. Vegas is right on point with this one having Tennessee as the favorite. All year long we have taken unranked teams that are favored over ranked teams and this weekend is no different. The Vols come in posting 4 of 5 winners ATS and should hang around long enough pull out a win late. Look for Dobbs to make a late play to propel them to a win 24-17.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MIKE DAVIS (CFB)

6-Unit Play. Take #180 Notre Dame -3 over Louisville (Saturday, November 22nd at 3:30 pm)

To the naked eye, all signs point to a Louisville win in this game. They have had a week off to prepare, their defense has been one of the best in the country, Notre Dame has lost 3 of 4 games and the Irish are extremely turnover prone. However, my intuition says Notre Dame will play one of their better games of the season this Saturday at home.

Notre Dame plays their final home game of the season and it’s time for them to play a complete football game. They are thin on defense and they have been gutted for 211 points in their last five games. Having said that, Brian Van Gorder will use a lot of run blitz packages to force Louisville to have to throw the ball. Louisville is starting a freshmen quarterback, Reggie Bonnafon, and this is a very tough situation for him. He has a couple of starts this season and he played pretty good in his relief appearance vs. Boston College. Having said that, starting at Notre Dame is a different animal than starting vs Wake Forest and at Syracuse. The young man will most certainly feel the pressure.

When Notre Dame is on offense, the Irish must take better care of the football this week. Louisville looks like a good defense on paper but looks can be deceiving. Their schedule has been extremely soft and I’m confident the Irish will move the ball up and down the field.

This game will be won with emotion and the defensive game plan of Van Gorder.

Take Notre Dame.

5-Unit Play. Take #199 Cincinnati -9.5 over UConn (Saturday, November 22nd at 8:00 pm)

UConn has been atrocious most of the season. They aren’t very good on offense and they struggle on both lines of scrimmages. Their defense has been fairly solid at times this season but Tommy Tubberville’s team will have a distinct advantage at almost every position. After losing three straight games to solid teams, the Bearcats have won four in a row vs below average teams (with the exception of East Carolina). UConn certainly fits the bill of a below average team. I don’t see the Bearcats having a letdown in this matchup as this is a team they have handled easily as of late. They beat UConn by 25 points at home last year and by 17 points on the road two years ago. They will win this one comfortably as well.

Take Cincinnati.

5-Unit Play. Take #174 Baylor -28.5 over Oklahoma State (Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30 pm)

I have been fading Oklahoma State for weeks now and I’m not stopping this week. The folks in the desert are starting to catch up but I still believe this line to be soft. The Cowboys simply don’t have a very good team. They don’t have much on offense since J.W. Walsh was hurt early in the season and their defense stays on the field a lot. Mike Gundy is on record saying that he doesn’t have a lot to work with this year. That is a bad combination when playing at Baylor, a team that needs to show the selection committee their worthiness. Baylor has an explosive offense and they have revenge on their minds. Last year, Oklahoma State embarrassed Baylor 49-17 and the Bears have not forgotten about it. Payback will happen in the form of a blowout victory for Baylor this Saturday night at home.

Take Baylor.

5-Unit Play. Take #128 Tennessee -3.5 over Missouri (Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30 pm)

Saturday night’s matchup is a pivotal one between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers. Missouri comes to town sporting an 8-2 overall record and 5-1 in the SEC while Tennessee is 5-5 overall and 2-4 in the SEC. Missouri is trying to make a push towards the SEC Championship while football at Tennessee has become exciting again with sophomore quarterback sensation Joshua Dobbs taking the SEC by storm. Butch Jones has been trying to change the losing mentality in Knoxville and it looks like he has found his leader in Dobbs. Tennessee is 2-0 since Dobbs was the named the starter, with wins versus South Carolina and Kentucky.

I look for Tennessee to continue their new-found success this week at home versus a Missouri team that is on the road in the SEC for the second week in a row. The Tigers squeaked out a 34-28 win versus Texas A&M last week. Winning back-to-back weeks on the road in the SEC is tough and it will be very difficult for Mizzou to duplicate last week’s effort in a sold out Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee is a different football team with Dobbs under center. They are dynamic, balanced, and they score points in bunches. They are averaging 38 ppg over 500 ypg since Dobbs took the reigns. This will be his biggest test so far and I’m confident the young fella will play well.

Take Tennessee.