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Craig Davis Saturday's Lineup
40 Dime --- FRESNO STATE (Buy the 1/2 point)
20 Dime --- HOUSTON (If your line is +2 1/2, buy the 1/2 point up to +3)
10 Dime --- OKLAHOMA (First half)
FRESNO STATE (Buy the 1/2 point) --- Top play of the day on the Fresno State Bulldogs minus the number out on the island. Might I suggest you buy this game as quickly as you can, because I have a feeling it's going to go up as the day progresses. It probably shouldn't matter, but I'd hate to get beat by a hook. I will be completely shocked if the Bulldogs don't win this game by 20 or more points, but this is gambling and we need to cover all our bases. You'll notice that any time I back a favorite of 10 or more points, the team they are playing is either really bad overall or they struggle mightily in one aspect of the game (or both). I think in this case, both scenarios apply.
The Bulldogs enter this game having lost to the Warriors three straight times, but last year's game did not feature talented Fresno RB Ryan Matthews and let me tell you... this kid can flat out run. Hawaii has absolutely no one who can stop him one-on-one, and if he gets into space it's probably going to result in 6 points. Matthews rushed an amazing 38 times for 145 yards and a TD last week in a 28-20 loss to undefeated Cincinnati. The week before that Matthews rushed just 19 times vs. the "vaunted" Boise State run defense, and finished with 245 yards and 3 scores. Or how about versus Big 10 power Wisconsin where he rushed 19 times for 107 yards? 4 games for Matthews... and 4 times he went over 100 yards rushing.
And did you notice the teams I mentioned he did his damage against? Cincy, Boise State and Wisconsin. What do they all have in common... they're all unbeaten on the season --- 15 and 0. So it's not like Matthews was lighting up high school teams... he was doing this against quality caliber... three teams that will easily be playing in bowl games. And have you noticed the maturity of young QB Ryan Colburn? There were a lot of questions surrounding this kid at the beginning of the season, but after he torched the Wisconsin secondary for over 300 yards and then managed his offense quietly in the next two games (not making too many costly mistakes), HC Pat Hill knew this team could start to make a move. Well, that move starts tonight against an inferior Hawaii team that's missing its offensive leader... QB Greg Alexander.
You see, Alexander tore knee ligaments in last week's loss to Louisiana Tech and will miss the rest of the season. This is HUGE for the Warriors as the only other QBs they have on the roster are junior college transfer Bryant Moniz or sophomore Shane Austin... neither of which has any real NCAA Division I experience. The biggest problem for Hawaii, however, is the fact they simply can't run the ball and, wouldn't you know it, they can't stop the run either. Much like last night's easy win on Nevada, the scenario was plain as day.... La. Tech simply cannot stop the run while Nevada runs the ball as well as anyone in the WAC. Exact same scenario here tonight. Hawaii can't stop the run whatsoever and now they're being asked to stop Ryan Matthews?? Please.
Fresno should be giving 17 points in this game, period... so the fact we're only being asked to lay 10 is a crime... but who am I to complain? Hawaii's only chance to keep this game respectable is to throw the ball 50 or more times... and that's what it's going to take because they'll be trailing the entire game. Every single factor I've looked at favors the Bulldogs, and I have absolutely no fear about this game being played in Hawaii. The weather is expected to be perfect which will only help Colburn and the Fresno passing game... which is far and away better than Hawaii's without Alexander. Top play of the day on Fresno State minus the number.
HOUSTON (if your line is +2.5, buy the half point up to +3) --- Perfect situation for line value here, and I believe we're getting it. After rolling through Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, the Houston Cougars fell flat on their face at UTEP last week which put them in a great situation to be ready for another solid conference opponent today. Let's face it, Houston overlooked a very bad UTEP team and got spanked. Trust me, they won't let that happen again... not today. They know they have to come to play, but I doubt the rest of the country believes in them anymore. It's funny... we root for these underdogs until they lose... then we forget about them. It looks like Vegas forgot about them too because this line is just dead wrong.
HC Kevin Sumlin is a no nonsense guy trying to bring respectability back to a once proud program and it looked as if they were headed in that direction until last week's embarrassing setback. But this team isn't going to let that loss get them down... they can still win their conference, they can still go to a VERY GOOD bowl game and they can use all of this year as a recruiting tool for next year and years to come. This week of practice has been the hardest these players have experienced all week because Sumlin knows just how physical Miss. State is. He doesn't want his players to get "out-toughed" but an SEC team so he had his boys hit and hit and hit some more in practice this week.
Miss. State is getting some love in Vegas because of their recent game with LSU and Georgia Tech. When you are known for being a laughable program, and you all-of-a-sudden play teams in the SEC tough when no one expects it... people start to notice. Unfortunately for the average bettor, they'll be all over SEC because they're still under the impression that the SEC is light years above all other conferences... and I don't believe that for a minute. I'm not sold on the SEC... not this year. Don't get me wrong, I still think they're good and will likely have someone playing for the National Championship, but I just don't believe the middle-tier teams are really that great. Shoot, Oklahoma State beat Georgia in Week 1 but turned around and lost to this same Houston team a week later. You think Missississippi State would beat Georgia? Not a chance.
This game should be really fun to watch, and I'm tempted to release the OVER as well, but that number is just too high for me. Houston has beaten the Bulldogs the last two times they've played them and really weren't challenged. If you don't know who Case Keenum is, you will after this game. The Cougars might score just about every time they have the ball and it's going to take a miracle for the 'Dogs to keep up because I have no faith in QB Tyson Lee. Tempted to release this as a moneyline play, but I'll play it safe and tell you to just make sure you have Houston at +3 or more.
OKLAHOMA (first half) ---- Absolutely love to back the Sooners when they play at home, and today, coming back from a horrendous road trip to Miami (my big play last week, by the way), the Sooners will completely pummel the injury-riddled Baylor Bears. To be honest, I would have played the Sooners had Landry Jones been the starting QB... but just knowing we get Bradford back today makes this play even more exciting. The reason I'm backing Oklahoma in the first half only is because the number, which currently sits at -28, will likely go up to -29 or 29 1/2 by kickoff and that's simply too rich for my blood (though they'll probably cover it). I like the first half line of -15 1/2 (at the time of this writing) because historically the Sooners have jumped out to HUGE first half leads and then kinda put it on cruise control in the second half. Case in point... the Sooners have played two games at home so far this season and their last home contest was the more impressive of the two... a 45-0 shutout of then unbeaten Tulsa. The halftime score? 31-0. And in case you're wondering, yes, I would put Tulsa on the same field with Baylor and would like my chances.
The Bears are in huge trouble with previous third string QB Nick Florence expected to start under center today. The ONLY chance Baylor would have had to keep this game close today was if Robert Griffin was the starting QB. Griffin is down with injury and so is the backup Blake Szymanski... that's right, the Bears are down to a third-stringer and that's going to spell horrible trouble for this Baylor offense. OU's defense played good, not great, against Miami's athletes last week and definitely put themselves in a position to win... so how much more will they be able to do against a Baylor offense that struggled with Kent State until late in the game last week?
Here are some of the recent Oklahoma halftime scores with Baylor over the past few years... 35-14, 28-14, 24-13, and 34-3. So you see, Oklahoma has absolutely owned Baylor in its history and they usually get the job done in the second quarter... taking a large lead into the locker room. It's even better that Oklahoma is coming off a loss because you know they'll do everything they can to give the home crowd a show. I'm not sure why, but for some reason the Sooners play a completely different brand of football in Norman than they do on the road... and Baylor will experience this the hard way. Play the Sooners minus the number in the first half to slaughter Baylor and take all the wind out of their proverbial sails. OU 28 Baylor 6 at halftime.
NCAA-F Oct 10 '09
12:30p Kentucky vs South Carolina
Take: Kentucky +9½-110 in 7h
Note: To my full Season NCAA Subscribers, this play is not part of Ethan Laws premium package. Rather, each week Ethan will be releasing a few plays that were bet by the New York City betting syndicate to which he is one of the lead adviser's on. The Syndicate will likely be releasing more than one selection starting next week, but in the early going they play a very conservative approach.
Syndicate play: The second play the syndicate collectively bet this week in the NCAA was KENTUCKY +10! South Carolina opened as a 11.5 point home favorite underdog and when the syndicate placed their wager the line quickly moved down to +10.5. Later in the week the larger players continued to move the line to where it stands now at 10. After some considerable discussion the group decided to place a $45,000 wager on KENTUCKY +10.
Ethan’s thoughts: Only one adviser liked this game and I can tell you it was not me. We discussed this game for hours and hours and although I believe it does have some considerable merit, it is not (in my opinion one of the stronger plays on the board. The reason I do not like it is because it could be over after the first quarter, and I always like believe my underdogs will win their games outright and I do not believe that is the case here. Despite my thoughts, the group is sold on the fact that Kentucky comes into this game at a very bargain price. Our runner even told us that Kentucky is the Top selection by most of the larger outfits for that reason, and justifiably so. Granted the true line in this contest should be in the neighborhood of 8.5 to 9 points, but the simple fact that Kentucky got absolutely blasted by No. 1 Florida, 41-7, and followed that up with a terrible 38-20 defeat to Alabama. With that said those are two of the TOP teams in the nation and South Carolina although very good, is not even close to the level of those squads. Because of the fact that Kentucky is 0-3 ATS their last three the lines makers are forced to adjust their numbers, and now I am beginning to become convinced that the adjustment was to substantial to warrant this line. South Carolina has a slew of injuries and for an early season game, this is an absolute MUST WIN for Kentucky if their hopes of making a bowl contest want to stay alive. The Syndicate thinks they can win in this spot.
SYNDICATE PLAY: KENTUCKY +9.5
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Sport Date Matchup Book Starts
NCAA-F Oct 10 '09
8:00p East Carolina vs SMU
Take: SMU +6½-105 in 14h
Note: To my full Season NCAA Subscribers, this play is not part of Ethan Laws premium package. Rather, each week Ethan will be releasing a few plays that were bet by the New York City betting syndicate to which he is one of the lead adviser's on. The Syndicate will likely be releasing more than one selection starting next week, but in the early going they play a very conservative approach.
Syndicate play: The Syndicate was very happy about last weeks success as they placed on their larger wagers of the season on UTEP +15 who absolutely destroyed Houston on their way to an outright win. This week they came back with two selections. The first play the syndicate collectively bet this week in the NCAA was SMU +6.5! SMU opened as a 6.5 home underdog and when the syndicate placed their wager the line quickly moved down to +6. Later in the week the public action on East Carolina has brought the game back up. Nevertheless, after some considerable discussion the group decided to place a $40,000 wager on SMU +6.5.
Ethan’s thoughts: I am happy to report that all three advisors flagged Marshall early in the week including myself as I thought this was one of the top plays on the board. To begin we have technical dominance on our side as the Pirates are 0-4 ATS as road favorites of more than six points while SMU is 9-1 ATS inside the conference off a loss after allowing more than 36 points in previous game. East Carolina won at Marshall last week (but really got crushed in the stats) and that triggers a 6-12 ATS system since 2008 when that occurs. Using what I said above, all three advisers were quick to point out that East Carolina leads the East Division of C-USA despite being outscored by 15 points this season. Hmmmm. If you really analyze this team you see a trend developing, which is one of theories behind this selection. East Carolina has a very good defense but they simply cannot score ranking the last in the conference at just 21 points per game and less than 300 yards of total offense per game. Indeed, they have been outgained by an average of 69 yards per game. So the key match-up in this contest comes down to The Pirate defense which is ranked fourth in C-USA in total defense (366.0 yards per game) vs. the Mustang offense ranked fourth in total offense (380.0). If the Mustang offense gets moving, the Pirates will not be able to keep up. In contrast, SMU has a virtual cornucopia of offensive weapons surrounding quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, including running back Shawnbrey McNeal and receivers Emmanuel Sanders, Aldrick Robinson, and Terrance Wilkerson. So if the Mustangs just reach their season average of 26 points a game that will without question make them win this game easily. We also noted that thie same SMU team really took TCU to the wire as last week they trailed just 12-7 at the half.
The Millionaires Club Guaranteed Selections
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009
$45.00 Guaranteed: We are now 772-383 since joining this site! Bottom Line is we win with a different approach to handicapping as we have situations that tell us what the line should be by looking at the teams stats compared to line history! This has proven to be very successful for us the past three years! Today we have isolated an 96% COLLEGE FOOTBALL NON CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR - $35 GUARANTEED! 10/10/2009
96% COLLEGE FOOTBALL NON CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR
377 Navy -10.5 3:30 EST
600? WYOMING COWBOYS - The offensive surge is quite evident with the Cowboys, now that frosh quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels has seized control of the unit. He has a veteran offensive line to protect him and since thirteen players have caught at least one pass this season, it's clear he has options.
The blustery conditions aren't the best for a top-rated game like this, but Wyoming has been practicing in it all week. The Lobos' lethargic defense could be frozen into icicles by halftime, allowing Carta-Samuels and goto guy David Leonard to hook up for a couple of scores - bare minimum.
Balancing things out is a veteran defensive crew that had its best game in stopping third-down conversions last week, allowing the Howard Schnellenberger's Florida Atlantic to go just 2-for-9. The goal is simple: do well on first and second down, and create third-and-long situations. That shouldn't be too much of an issue to accomplish against the Lobos.
New Mexico is barely running for 100 yards per game thanks to a banged-up running back corps, while the Lobos haven't been able to establish a real go-to receiver.
I know there are some believing last week was a turnaround point for the Lobos; I am one to believe Texas Tech didn't play at its best and took the game lightly.
Fact is, with off-field distractions, the new defensive regime and an overall porous defense, I don't see the Lobos doing much offensively at all.
Lay the chalk with Wyoming.
100? COLORADO ROCKIES (LIST Hammel over Martinez) - Welcome to the blizzard-worn Coors Field. I'll be the one with seven layers of clothes on and bundled underneath a blanket. The Rockies will be the ones emerging from the wild-card ranks and looking more like the higher seed. This is a team that has a knack for going on unstoppable runs, and there couldn't be a better situation than tonight to take advantage of this series.
I like Hammel over Martinez, as Colorado's import for Tampa won five of his last seven decisions to finish 10-8. He's found great command and is throwing strikes effectively. I expect him to challenge the Phillies hitters tonight in the frigid weather. As for Martinez, put it this way, he'll be older than the temperature at the time of the first pitch.
Colorado won 51 games at Coors Field, the second most in the National League this season.
The Millionaires Club Guaranteed Selections
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009
$45.00 Guaranteed: We are now 772-383 since joining this site! Bottom Line is we win with a different approach to handicapping as we have situations that tell us what the line should be by looking at the teams stats compared to line history! This has proven to be very successful for us the past three years! Today we have isolated an 96% COLLEGE FOOTBALL NON CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR - $35 GUARANTEED! 10/10/2009
96% COLLEGE FOOTBALL NON CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR
377 Navy -10.5 3:30 EST
Just too many points today at the Horseshoe for the Buckeyes to comfortably cover.
Last year the Badgers held Tyrelle Pryor to 164 yards of total offense, and while Pryor is improved, the Bucks are still erratic on offense and I don't see them pulling away.
Wisconsin comes in at 5-0 straight up, and QB Scott Tolzien has done a solid job putting up some nice numbers, while RB John Clay has also been doing damage with his legs. That combination should be just enough to keep Wiscy within earshot against an OSU team that is just 2-5 against the spread their last 7 as a home favorite.
The Badgers lost a tough one 20-17 last season to the Buckeyes at Camp Randall, so expect a fired-up effort today in Columbus.
The points work!
10 DIMER - BOWLING GREEN FALCONS - 3:30 PM
Bowling Green hasn't won since opening week when they handled Troy with ease. That fact win change today, as Kent is the perfect foe for the Falcons at Dix Stadium.
The points haven't worked for the Golden Flashes, especially at home where they are 5-13-1 against the spread their last 19 at home!
Bowling Green won last year 45-30, and owns the series 54-16. Kent State only beat 0-5 Miami University by 10 points. The combined score of their other 4 games, 175-39! The Falcons have lost 4 in a row, but each game was winnable (except Boise State) and the combined records of those teams is 15-4 (at Missouri, Boise State, at Marshall, and Ohio).
The line on this one has been all over the board, and I am not sure why? I am sure that Bowling Green is going to notch their 2nd win, and do so convincingly.
10 DIMER - MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS - 12:00 PM
Both teams are off tough losses, but Purdue's loss to Northwestern may take the cake, as the Boilers turned it over 5 times in a 17-minute span to blow a 21-3 lead against the Wildcats!
That made it 4 straight losses for the Boilermakers, while Minnesota is at least 3-2 straight up this year.
Expect the turnovers to continue for Purdue, as last year Minnesota had 4 takeaways in a 17-6 win in West Lafayette.
Home-cooking in the new stadium comes through in this one, as the Golden Gophers are a TD better than the Boilermakers in this Big 10 battle.
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