The Washington Huskies are expected to compete for supremacy in the PAC 12 but they haven’t shown us much yet. They lost some significant contributors from last year, especially in the backcourt, but coach Lorenzo Romar has developed an underappreciated program in the Pacific Northwest.
The Missouri Tigers are off to a hot start and haven’t been beat yet. In fact, they haven’t even been challenged, with each victory by at least 15 points. This team may have a new coach but they are still one of the most aggressive and athletic teams out there.
The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. If you don’t believe that, then just ask Norv Turner and the San Diego Chargers.
The Have-Nots of the NFC West take on the Haves of the NFC West in San Francisco this Sunday in what is the mismatch of the weekend.
An intriguing AFC South battle comes our way on Sunday – intriguing not because the two teams are grappling for top spot but intriguing because both teams are far from where most thought they would be at this point of the season.
The Detroit Lions have lost four of their last six and are at risk of falling back of the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Wild Card race.
No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers improved to 6-1 on the season with their win over Duquesne, while the Tennessee Volunteers continue to struggle, and followed up their Chaminade win with a loss on Monday to the Golden Grizzlies, 89-81.
NFL legend Marshall Faulk’s alma mater, San Diego State, gets a punch-drunk Fresno State team at home to close out its 2011 regular season in the Western Athletic Conference.
Fueled by another second-half comeback from Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos find themselves right back into the thick of the hunt in the AFC West, and will set their sights on winning their fifth straight when they hit the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings who continue to struggle to find wins this season.
Everyone expected the Steelers to be right in the thick of the AFC playoff race, but no one expected the Bengals to be there. Cincinnati just continues to defy the odds and stay in the race.
Pittsburgh won a hard fought contest in Cincinnati a couple weeks ago. Can Cincinnati pick up a huge win on the road, or will the Steelers hold serve at home?
Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
Time/Date: 1:00 PM EST, December 4, 2011
Venue: Heinz Field
Broadcast: CBS
Bengals vs. Steelers Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
Spread: Steelers -6.5
Moneyline: Steelers (-275) Bengals (+235)
Over/Under: 42.5
Andy Dalton deserves some serious consideration for rookie of the year this year. Dalton come into a very difficult situation and he has performed as well as anyone could have possibly expected and more. Dalton has already thrown for 2,509 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
A.J. Green is his top target on the outside, and Jermaine Gresham has become a favorite target over the middle. Green still isn’t 100% from a recent knee injury, but he is expected to play Sunday. The Bengals offense is at its best when Cedric Benson is running the ball well. Cincinnati averages 23.5 points per game.
The Bengals defense is the primary reason this team sits at 7-4 right now. Through the first few games of the season, the Bengals were the top ranked defense in the NFL. The defense has taken a hit due to major injuries over the last few weeks. Leon Hall, the team’s best cover corner, is out for the season.
Keith Rivers, a starting outside linebacker, is now also out for the season. The pass rush must get after Big Ben this week to take some pressure off the inexperienced secondary. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Ben Roethlisberger isn’t having his best season statistically, but he has been getting the job done for this Steelers offense.
Mike Wallace has emerged as one of the top deep threats in the league. Wallace averages 17.1 yards per reception so far this season. The offensive line started the season out very poorly, but they have improved over the last few games. Rashard Mendenhall is a workhorse in the backfield for Pittsburgh. The Steelers rank tenth in the NFL in total offense, but they are 19th in points per game.
This is an offense that has turned the ball over too many times this year, and that is something they must work on as the regular season winds down.
The Steelers defense got a big scare when Troy Polamalu went down with a concussion last weekend in Kansas City. Polamalu is feeling better, and he is listed as probable for this game. As has been the case for the last few years, this unit is one of the best in the NFL. It’s tough for opponents to matchup with the front seven that Pittsburgh puts on the field.
James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, James Farrior, and Lawrence Timmons are the best group of linebackers in football. This defense ranks in the top six of the NFL in every major defensive category.
The Bengals are no slouch this year, but the recent defensive injuries will make it difficult for them to keep up with the Steelers in this one. Look for the Steelers to cover the spread here.
Free NFL Pick: Steelers -6.5
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The No. 18 Gonzaga Bulldogs remain undefeated with their blowout win over Notre Dame on Wednesday, and will now set their sights on Illinois who is rolling after beating Maryland on the road their last time out.
It has been quite a while since Art Modell took the Browns to Baltimore, but Cleveland still hates the Baltimore Ravens. This was a rivalry from the day Cleveland got a pro football team once again.
The Ravens are 8-3 this year, but all three of their losses have come as at least 5.5 point favorites. Can they avoid a letdown against the Browns this weekend?
Ravens vs. Browns
Time/Date: 4:05 PM EST, December 4, 2011
Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium
Broadcast: CBS
Ravens vs. Browns Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
Spread: Ravens -6.5
Moneyline: Ravens (-275) Browns (+235)
Over/Under: 38.5
Baltimore has an impressive list of teams they have beaten so far this year. The Ravens have taken down the Steelers twice, the 49ers, the Jets, the Texans, and the Bengals. It has been the Jaguars, Titans, and Seahawks who have beaten the Ravens. Baltimore has showed up for all of their big games, but they have consistently played down to their level of competition this year and it has caught up with them a few times.
Joe Flacco has had some great moments this year, but he has been pretty inconsistent at the quarterback spot. Ray Rice leads the team in both rushing yards and receptions. Rice is one of the most versatile players in the league, and the Ravens need to get him the ball more often. The Ravens offense averages 24.7 points per game.
Baltimore’s defense has been stellar this season. Ray Lewis has missed the last couple games with a toe injury, and he is listed as questionable for this one. Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs have been excellent for this unit. Ed Reed may have lost a step, but he is still a great safety. Baltimore’s defense has flourished at forcing turnovers this year. Opponents are scoring just 16.5 points per game on this defense. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Cleveland has struggled in a big way on offense this year. This team is simply lacking play makers on this side of the ball. Colt McCoy has improved in his second season under center for the team, but he doesn’t have enough play makers around him. Peyton Hillis is healthy again, and it should certainly help to have him back in the lineup.
The Browns lack a consistent wide receiver, and this unit has had far too many drops this year. The team has tried to work Josh Cribbs into the offense a little bit, but that has largely been unsuccessful. The Browns are averaging only 15 points per contest.
As bad as the Cleveland offense has been, the defense has done a lot of good things this year. This is a terrific young secondary. In fact, the Browns rank first in the NFL in pass defense. Joe Haden is already a star in only his second year in the league. Phil Taylor has provided a nice boost on the defensive line. Injuries have really slowed the linebacker group, and that has allowed opponents to run the ball quite well against this defense. Cleveland ranks sixth in the NFL in total defense.
Baltimore realizes that they can’t afford another letdown, and I don’t think it will happen against a rival like the Browns. Baltimore is better on both sides of the ball. Look for Ray Rice to have a big game here.
Free NFL Pick: Ravens -6.5
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#5 Virginia Tech Hokies (11-1, 7-1 ACC) vs #20 Clemson Tigers (9-3, 6-2 ACC)
It seems like year in, year out – like clockwork – Virginia Tech winds up in the conference title game. Long-tenured head coach Frank Beamer perennially has his Hokies in contention.
The Arkansas Razorbacks will try and work their way into the top 25 with a victory on road this Saturday against the Connecticut Huskies at the XL Center in Hartford.
This Saturday afternoon at Rupp Arena in Lexington, two of the best teams in college basketball square-off in a huge season showdown with the top spot in the nation on the line when the North Carolina Tar Heels tangle with the Kentucky Wildcats.
It’s the first edition of the Big Ten Conference Championship Game this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The title game will be a rematch of what might have been the best regular season game of the year in the conference. Michigan State won 37-31 on a last second Hail Mary the first time these two met.
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin
Lucas Oil Stadium
Saturday December 3, 8:15 PM EST
NCAA Football Odds from BetOnline
Moneyline: Wisconsin (-365) Michigan State (+305)
College Football Spread: Wisconsin -9.5 (-110) Michigan State +9.5 (-110)
Over/Under: 54.5
Can the Spartans upset the Badgers a second time or will Wisconsin get revenge?
Mark Dantonio has done a terrific job turning around this Michigan State program. The Spartans had been mired in mediocrity before Dantonio came, but the past two years have been great for this team. Other than a misstep at Nebraska this year, the team was perfect in Big Ten conference play.
It was the defense that led the team this year, but the offense progressed a great deal as the season moved along. Kirk Cousins, a third year starter at quarterback, put together a terrific season for Michigan State.
Cousins threw for 2,700 yards and 21 touchdowns this year. Le’Veon Bell and Edwin Baker form a solid tailback tandem for the Spartans. B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin are both capable of making plays down the field on the outside, which helps stretch the defense.
Jerrell Worthy is the anchor for this terrific defense. Michigan State ranks in the top 11 in the country in every major defensive category.
Isaiah Lewis leads the team with four interceptions. Wisconsin did put up 443 total yards against this unit last time, so they will need to improve this Saturday or things likely won’t end as well as they did last time for the Spartans. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Russell Wilson has been the perfect quarterback for Wisconsin this season. Wilson has better numbers than any other quarterback in the nation. Wilson threw for 28 touchdowns and just three interceptions this year. He also completed a ridiculous 73% of his passes. While Wilson gives this team an extra dimension on offense, it still starts with the power running game.
Montee Ball racked up 1,622 yards this season. Ball had 29 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns.
James White is a very solid backup tailback, and he averaged 5.1 yards per carry this year. Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis are solid at the wide receiver spots. The Badgers may well have the most balanced offense in the nation. Wisconsin is averaging 45 points per game in 2011.
The Badgers defense was a pleasant surprise this season. The loss of J.J. Watt left many to believe that this unit would struggle this year, but that wasn’t the case at all. Wisconsin ranks third in the nation in pass defense.
The secondary has done a great job keeping everything in front of them this year. Wisconsin is giving up just 15.2 points per contest.
I really like what Dantonio has done at Michigan State, but I think Wisconsin is the much more complete team. The Badgers have a lot to prove here, and I think they’ll do just that.
Look for the Badgers offensive line to assert its dominance early and often.
Free College Football Pick: Wisconsin -9.5
Score Prediction: Wisconsin 38 Michigan State 20
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