10-28-11

[Mr. IWS]

New Guys!

Don’t be afraid to post services if you come across any. Anything you contribute will be appreciated, and your user reputation will grow (the green dots under your name.)

Note:

ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Mr. IWS]

Football Crusher
Play of the Day:
TCU + BYU UNDER 56

Soccer Crusher
Play of the Day:
SC Frelburg + Bayer Leverkusen OVER 2.5


Hockey Crusher
Play of the Day:
Colorado -145 over Edmonton

[Mr. IWS]

Robert Ferringo

FRIDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL SELECTIONS

3-Unit Play. Take #109 BYU (+13.5) over TCU (8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28)

[Mr. IWS]

LuckyDaySports

Friday’s Comp Play

NCAAF
BYU +13.5

[Mr. IWS]

TODAY'S CFL PICKS

Hamilton at Saskatchewan
The Roughriders look to take advantage of a Hamilton team that is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 games in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Tiger-Cats favored by only 4 1/2.
Dunkel Pick: Saskatchewan (+6). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST (10/27)

Game 291-292: Toronto at Winnipeg (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 107.117; Winnipeg 113.933
Dunkel Line: Winnipeg by 7; 52
Vegas Line: Winnipeg by 8; 48 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+8); Over

[Mr. IWS]

TODAY'S NHL PICKS

San Jose at Detroit
The Sharks look to take advantage of a Detroit team that is coming off a 4-1 loss at Columbus and is 2-5 in its last 7 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. San Jose is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Sharks favored by 1.
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (+120). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Time Posted 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 1-2: Chicago at Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.202; Carolina 11.624
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+115); Under

Game 3-4: San Jose at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 12.100; Detroit 11.001
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (+120); Over

Game 5-6: Edmonton at Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 11.937; Colorado 11.590
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+130); Under

Game 7-8: St. Louis at Calgary (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 11.192; Calgary 12.234
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (-115); Over

[Mr. IWS]

TODAY'S MLB PICKS

Texas at St. Louis
The Rangers look to bounce back from last night's 10-9 loss and build on their 13-3 record in their last 16 games when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in the previous game. Texas is the pick (+120) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1.
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+120). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 965-966: Texas at St. Louis (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Harrison) 16.931; St. Louis (Carpenter) 15.812
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 7
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+120); Under

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NCAA CFB INDEX

WEEK
Straight Up: 2-0 (1.000)
ATS: 0-2 (.000)
ATS Vary Units: 0-8 (.000)
Over/Under: 0-2 (.000)
Over/Under Vary Units: 0-3 (.000)

SEASON
Straight Up: 623-215 (.743)
ATS: 233-241 (.492)
ATS Vary Units: 1352-1457 (.481)
Over/Under: 226-240 (.485)
Over/Under Vary Units: 561-605 (.481)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011
FBS Non-Conference
TCU 35, Byu 25

[Mr. IWS]

FRIDAY BETTORS' TIPS AND NOTES
Friday’s Betting Tips: Big Action Coming In On TCU
By Covers Staff


WHO'S HOT

NCAAF: BYU is 9-4 against the spread in its last 13 overall.

NHL: San Jose is 12-5 in its last 17 meetings with Detroit.

NHL: The over is 7-3 in St. Louis’ last 10 road games.

CFL: Toronto is 4-2 against the spread in its last six games against Winnipeg.

WHO'S NOT

NCAAF: TCU is 0-5 against the number in its last five non-conference games.

NHL: Colorado is 6-22 in its last 28 home games.

NHL: Chicago is 2-8-1 in its last 12 games against Carolina.

CFL: The over is 0-3 in Winnipeg’s last three overall.

KEY STAT

56- About 56 percent of the NHL’s games heading into Thursday’s action have played under their posted totals. A little more than 57 percent of the games over the last week have played under.

INJURY THAT SHOULDN'T BE OVERLOOKED

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans - Johnson will be a game-time decision for this weekend's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Gary Kubiak confirmed Jackson's status following Thursday's practice session. The All-Pro wideout hasn't played since suffering a strained hamstring in a Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Texans have been cautious with the 30-year-old, and ran him through a normal practice Thursday with no complications. Johnson has 25 catches for 352 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. Houston is currently a 9.5-point favorite at home to Jacksonville Sunday.

GAME OF THE DAY

Brigham Young at Texas Christian (-13.5, 56)

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

"I see the game going, and the rotation going, as it has been going. I like the direction of our team offensively. Again, if the team were to struggle, and if we weren’t able to move the ball and score points, Jake would come in and perform. But I like the chance for the quarterbacks to get into rhythm and to play, and until proven otherwise, we will go down the same road we have been traveling, with Riley." – BYU coach Rocco Mendenhall on junior Riley Nelson starting again Friday and likely playing the entire game. The team hasn’t had a three-and-out since Nelson took over Jake Heaps more than three games ago.

TIPS AND NOTES

Texas Christian has been a strong bet at home for a long time, going 26-12 in its last 36 home games and bettors are lining up to bet the Horned Frogs Friday when they host BYU. As of Thursday night, almost 64 percent of Covers.com Consensus bettors were backing TCU as 13-point favorites. BYU is 4-4 against the spread this season.

Formula One drivers' champion Sebastien Vettel has hinted at the possibility of letting Red Bull teammate Mark Webber overtake him at the season-ending Indian Grand Prix. A Webber victory would give Red Bull the top two spots in the standings, which would be a fitting end to a season in which the team ran away with the constructors' title. Vettel, who has won 10 of 16 races this season, said "scenarios" could be in play that would allow him to concede the lead to Webber. Vettel has previously said he didn't like the idea of helping out his teammate in that regard, but with history on the line has apparently capitulated.

South Carolina freshman running back Brandon Wilds will start Saturday's game against Tennessee. Wilds gets the start after stud running back Marcus Lattimore was sidelined for the remainder of the season with a ligament and cartilage damage in his left knee. Lattimore suffered the injury while blocking during the fourth quarter of a 14-12 victory over Mississippi State on Oct. 15. Wilds had five carries in his last two games and 13 for the season.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford worked with the first-team offense during Thursday's practice session and is on track to start Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Stafford has been hobbled by an ankle injury but reportedly looked good in limited action Thursday. The 23-year-old rolled his ankle late in the Lions' 23-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He appeared to move well in Wednesday's practice and should be able to suit up Sunday. Stafford has completed 60.2 percent of his passes this season, throwing for 1,912 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.

[Mr. IWS]

CANADIEN BACON

Friday's Best CFL Bet

Toronto Argonauts at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-8, 48)

The Blue Bombers have now taken full control of their destiny with a comeback victory last week against the Montreal Alouettes that gave them sole possession of first place in the East with two games to play. If Winnipeg wins this week against Toronto and the Alouettes lose, the Blue Bombers will secure first place and host the East final.

The Bombers can’t afford to stumble against the Argos at home in front of another sell-out crowd at Canad Inns Stadium for their last regular season game in Winnipeg. Head coach Paul LaPolice warned his players not to take this game lightly since these Argos did pull an upset against the Bombers last month and did the same two weeks ago against the Calgary Stampeders.

After taking over Cleo Lemon’s job as starting QB, Steven Jyles has completed only 56 percent of his passes and has twice as many interceptions (10) than touchdowns. The Argonauts have lost their last seven games on the road, while the Blue Bombers won only three of their last eight games.

PICK: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

[Mr. IWS]

CFL NEWS AND NOTES
CFL Betting Notes - Week 18
By David Schwab


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

Toronto Argonauts vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8½) Over/Under (49)
Toronto is 4-12 straight-up (7-9 against the spread) on the year and reduced to playing the role of spoiler over the next two weeks. It is 1-7 SU (4-4 ATS) on the road this season and the total has gone ‘over’ in three of its last five games. Winnipeg is 10-6 SU (11-5 ATS) overall and 5-3 SU (6-2 ATS) at home. The total has stayed ‘under’ in its last three games.

The Argonauts lost the first two games to the Blue Bombers this season both SU and ATS, but beat them 25-24 in Week 13 as three-point home underdogs. Toronto is now 4-2 both SU and ATS in the last six meetings and the total has stayed ‘under’ in three of the last five games. The Argonauts are ranked second to last in scoring and last in points allowed.

[Mr. IWS]

ICE PICKS

Friday's Best NHL Bets

San Jose Shark at Detroit Red Wings (-140, 5.5)

The Red Wings hope a date with the rival Sharks is what they need to turn it up a notch.

Detroit has dropped two straight heading into Friday’s game against San Jose, a team that has ended its playoff hunt two years in a row. That should be some solid motivation.

“These don’t make up for the playoff losses, don’t ever kid yourself,” coach Mike Babcock told reporters. “But they’re coming in here, and we’d like to beat them. They’ve got a good team, we like our team, so let’s see what happens. Let’s have fun.”

Nobody in Detroit is having much fun right now. With Jimmy Howard away from the team to be with his new baby, the Wings were throttled 7-1 at Washington and 4-1 at Columbus. Ty Conklin looked lost in both of those games but Howard is expected to start Friday.

Even still, these teams usually fill the net when they get together so we’ll go with the over.

PICK: Over


Chicago Blackhawks at Carolina Hurricanes (+120, 5.5)

Like so many teams before them, the Chicago Blackhawks struggled with inconsistency early last season following their Stanley Cup championship run. This year is a different story.

Chicago has just one regulation loss in eight games this season and the team seems to be coming together after some offseason moves altered the team’s chemistry a bit. For now at least, even Dan Carcillo is fitting in nicely on a line with Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa.

"It seems like it's been lines one, two, three and four have each stepped up in certain games and taken over a little bit," Kane told the team's official website. "It's nice to have that balance on the lines, and it can be any line's game on a given night. We're seeing that from everyone."

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes haven’t found the right recipe with their lines yet. Paul Maurice shuffled his lines again during Wednesday’s practice following the club’s third consecutive loss. They’ve picked up points in two of those, but will need to be better to keep up with Chicago Friday.

PICK: Chicago Blackhawks

[Mr. IWS]

NHL NEWS AND NOTES
Hurricanes Hope To Get Well At Home vs. Blackhawks
By David Kalan


Chicago Blackhawks at Carolina Hurricanes (+120, 5.5)
BLACKHAWKS (5-1-2) at HURRICANES (3-3-3)

TV: CSN-CH, FS-CR (HD)

SEASON SERIES: This is the only meeting of the season for Chicago and Carolina. The Blackhawks won their lone matchup last season, 5-2, at the RBC Center on March 4.

BIG STORY: The Blackhawks look to continue their quick start with a brief swing to Carolina, where the Hurricanes are in need of a win to stop the bleeding of their recent skid.

TEAM SCOPE:

BLACKHAWKS: Chicago may not quite be receiving the buzz Washington has in the Eastern Conference, but the Blackhawks have quietly put on an impressive start to the season. The Blackhawks sit two points up on Detroit in the Central Division after rallying to beat the Ducks in a shootout Tuesday and winning five of seven overall. In fact, Chicago hasn't lost in regulation since the opening night of the season.

The root of the Hawks' success is no secret, as Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp have both been offensive forces averaging a point per game. Goalie Corey Crawford has played his part, too, going 4-1-2 in his seven starts with a tidy 2.08 goals-against average. If Chicago keeps the momentum going in Carolina, there's a good chance to continue its run. After Friday, the Hawks come back home for two more games to wrap up October.

HURRICANES: Just nine games into the season Carolina is already facing a significant obstacle in the standings. With Southeast-leading Washington off to an historic start, the Hurricanes are facing considerable hindrances both in terms of points and games in hand if they want to climb back into the division race. Despite not winning in their last three games the Canes may be making some progress on that front. An impressive rally Tuesday night against Ottawa salvaged a point after Carolina trailed 2-0 with five minutes to go. Cam Ward has also started to look sharper. The 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy-winner hasn't lost in regulation in his last five starts.

Still, the Canes will need to win games to start making hay in the standings and those have been tough to come by for Carolina lately. Four of the next five games are in the friendly confines of the RBC Center, which should prove a boon to a team that has played just a third of its games at home all season.

WHO'S HOT: Marian Hossa has been as hot as any Hawk lately, tallying 7 points in his last six games. … As for Carolina, reigning Calder Trophy-winner Jeff Skinner may be finding his form in the sophomore campaign. He has 4 points in his last two games.

INJURY REPORT: Anthony Stewart (lower-body injury) is questionable for Carolina, while Chicago is expected to have a healthy lineup.

STAT PACK: Chicago's potent offense -- the Hawks are averaging 3.25 goals per game -- may be overshadowing its defense and goaltending. The Blackhawks' plus-7 goal differential is the best in the Western Conference, and third best in the League after Washington and Pittsburgh.

PUCK DROP: There is no denying that Carolina needs a win, but unfortunately for the Canes, a home game against one of the top teams in the West is not the easiest recipe. Finally getting to spend some extended time at home could do wonders for the Canes, however, and patching together a few wins could easily change the complexion of the early season.

[Mr. IWS]

BANG THE BOOK

Friday's Best NCAA CFB Bets

BYU Cougars at TCU Horned Frogs (-13.5, 56)

Last year, it was the BYU Cougars that left the Mountain West. Now, the TCU Horned Frogs are playing in their final season in the conference. The two meet in a former divisional rivalry on Friday night football betting action in Fort Worth.

No one is really rumbling about BYU right now, but take a look at the rest of this schedule… After dealing with TCU, there are only games left with the Idaho Vandals, New Mexico State Aggies, and the Hawaii Warriors. Sure, that last game at Hawaii will be tough, but there is a legitimate chance for this team to finish 10-2. If that’s the case and enough chips fall in the wrong places, this could end up being a BCS team when it’s said and done in spite of the fact that it was blown away by the Utah Utes at home on September 17th. The schedule hasn’t been all that tough, but the victory over the UCF Knights was on national television, as was the one over the Utah State Aggies. Beating the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis was a nice win though the Beavs are clearly down this year, but this would be the cream of the crop victory that would really make a big time statement. This is a program that travels quite well, something that has always appealed to the BCS, and it is also a program that is rich in history and tradition. The question in this one though, is whether an offense that is now being guided by QB Riley Nelson can really get past this stout TCU defense.

The Horned Frogs might still finish the year ranked in the Top 25, but unlike BYU, they have no chance this year of going to the BCS. The team already has one too many losses for that in all likelihood, and there are still some very, very big games to play. TCU knows that this is a game that it really has to win, as that showdown for the top of the MWC standings with the Boise State Broncos still awaits. QB Casey Pachall doesn’t quite have the same pedigree as the departed QB Andy Dalton does, but his numbers are just fine this year. He has thrown for 1,566 yards and 17 TDs. TCU is coming off of its biggest win of the year, a 69-0 beating of the lowly New Mexico Lobos, who are surely one of the worst teams in FBS football this year. The Horned Frogs have either been really, really good or really, really bad defensively this year. Five teams have failed to reach 20 points on this unit, but the two that have dropped 50 (Baylor Bears) and 40 (SMU Mustangs).

BYU Cougars @ TCU Horned Frogs Pick: We think that TCU really does need to be very, very careful in this one. The Cougars are good enough to beat a lot of teams in the country, and that one loss to Utah didn’t make the whole season. We’ll take the points, but we aren’t all that sure that the upset might not be in the cards in this one.

PICK: BYU Cougars +13.5

[Mr. IWS]

NCAA CFB NEWS AND NOTES
BYU at TCU: What Bettors Need To Know
By Covers Staff


BYU Cougars at TCU Horned Frogs (-13.5, 56)

The Cougars and Horned Frogs keep their old Mountain West Conference rivalry alive, despite the fact that BYU is rolling solo as an independent and TCU is heading to the Big 12 or the Big East... errr, somewhere next season.

"I consider this like a conference game, we've played BYU for so long,” TCU head coach Gary Patterson told the Star-Telegram. “I'd rather not play a non-conference game in the middle of the season but this is the only time we could work it out."

The respective religious schools collide on the grand stage that is Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas Friday night.

LINE MOVES

The Horned Frogs opened as 11.5-point favorites, and that spread has been bet up to 13.5 – just below the key number of two touchdowns. The total opened at 56 points and has remained fairly steady.

DO OVER

Brigham Young has been looking forward to erasing a 31-3 beating from TCU since it walked off the field at Amon G. Carter Stadium last October.

The Cougars were demolished in that game, especially quarterback Jake Heaps, who threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. BYU put up only 14 yards of offense in the first half of that loss, finishing with 147 total yards on the day.

Heaps, who has continued to struggle, has been replaced by junior passer Riley Nelson, who head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced as the team’s starter again this week.

"I see the game going, and the rotation going, as it has been going. I like the direction of our team offensively," Mendenhall told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Again, if the team were to struggle, and if we weren’t able to move the ball and score points, Jake would come in and perform. But I like the chance for the quarterbacks to get into rhythm and to play, and until proven otherwise, we will go down the same road we have been traveling, with Riley."

Nelson has been impressive since taking over under center. He’s completed almost 62 percent of his passes, thrown for 11 touchdowns (to just three interceptions), and, since becoming the No. 1 three games ago, has yet to have a three-and-out, with BYU punting only twice in possessions started with Nelson at QB.

Nelson is also a dangerous option on the ground, rushing for 284 yards, including 62 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 56-3 beating of FCS Idaho State.

FROGGY STYLE

Texas Christian flexed its offensive muscle with a 69-0 thumping of New Mexico last weekend, putting up over 500 total yards of offense in the win.

The Horned Frogs rank eighth in the country in scoring, averaging almost 44 points a game. In the case of TCU, it’s true that speed kills. It boasts the 18th-best rushing attack in the nation and is tied for 11th for most yards per play with 6.6.

"With the style of offense that they run and the kind of athletes that they have, it's one of those games where you have to do your assignment," BYU senior linebacker Jordan Pendleton told the Daily Herald. "Playing Idaho State you could maybe screw up once or twice and someone else would make the play but against these guys your can't.”

The TCU rushing attack is anchored by running backs Waymon James and Matthew Tucker. James, the speedier of the two, is fourth in the MWC with 450 yards on the ground, while Tucker, the smash-mouth short-yardage back, is third in the league in touchdowns, rumbling for seven scores this season.

On the wings, TCU has perhaps the fastest receiving corps in college football. Josh Boyce, who runs a 10.4 100-meter dash, has reeled in 604 yards receiving and five TDs. His partner, Skye Dawson, is the current MWC 100-meter champ at a time of 10.2 seconds and has grabbed 27 balls for 268 yards and three scores.

Sophomore quarterback Casey Pachall is second in the conference in passing, with 1,566 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. He threw for just 175 yards and two scores in the blowout over the Lobos last week.

NOT FORT WORTH IT

Despite the prestige of playing in one of the greatest stadiums on the planet, TCU isn’t crazy about having a home game moved to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The Horned Frogs are insisting that this be their final game played inside Jerry Jones’ cutting-edge setting.

"I'd have 40,000 in purple instead of it being 50-50," Patterson told reporters about playing in Arlington. "That's why we won't play people in the Big 12 over at Cowboys Stadium, if I get any say. Because I'd rather have home-field advantage. As soon as you go into Cowboys Stadium you no longer have home-field advantage."

Last season, the Horned Frogs drew 46,138 fans to Cowboys Stadium for their season opener with Oregon State, winning 30-21 but failing to cover as 13.5-point chalk. Brigham Young took on Oklahoma at Cowboys Stadium in 2009, shocking the Sooners 14-13 as a 22.5-point pup in front of 75,437 fans.

TRENDS

* Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as road underdog.
* Horned Frogs are 0-5 ATS in their last five non-conference games.
* Under is 13-3 in Cougars last 16 games as underdogs.
* Over is 5-1 in Horned Frogs last six games as favorites.